Dedra Hines and her mother and business partner, Avis Hines

Dedra Hines had been operating her own hair salon in Durham, NC for nearly 13 years when she received some bad news: The property owner was selling the building where Dedra’s salon, Amaka’s International Hair & Body Spa, was located. With little notice, Dedra was forced to close.

She managed to re-open in a temporary location, but it was too small to accommodate all the stylists who had previously rented booths from her. Dedra searched until she found the perfect building, a place where she could imagine her dream salon with space to spare for other stylists.

The challenge was the funding. “I was overwhelmed,” she said. “It was such a devastating turn that we didn’t see coming.”

Dedra prayed for guidance, and she believes that God led her to Self-Help CU. There she met a loan officer who listened to her story and was determined to help. Dedra also received help from her mother and business partner, Avis Hines. The two of them worked closely with the loan officer, who was able to structure affordable financing.

“I’m super excited and ready to move in!” Dedra said.

She is also providing salon space for nine other stylists. Dedra, a mother of three, has a business degree from NC Central, and she is also a Master Stylist. Amaka’s International is located at 1912 Highway 54 in Durham.