A Great Long-term Investment

I became a member probably not long after the legendary bake sale that started Self-Help.  As a liberal-minded 20-something in the early 1980's it was a no-brainer to put my money into an organization like Self-Help.  Interestingly, 20+ years later as a middle-aged, mid-career, upper-middle class dad, it still makes just as much sense now as it did then, if not more.

As I've watched Self-Help grow, I've been continually impressed with the way that they have not lost their focus on their main mission. Rather than lose their way, diffusing and growing complacent, Self-Help has used its growing size and clout to hit even harder at core economic justice issues. This includes influencing mega-banks to put their money towards local wealth generation and stabilization, and using their political clout to lobby against predatory lending.

Few people realize what a critical role Self-Help has played in the re-birth of urban centers such as Durham, North Carolina. Long before it was 'hip' to invest in downtown Durham, Self-Help was buying buildings, creating business incubator spaces, and generally stabilizing the city center until it was ready to take off on its own.

Putting my money in Self-Help has been a great long-term investment. I earn a competitive return AND support the great work Self-Help is doing.

Eric Wiebe, Ph.D.
Educational Researcher
North Carolina State University