[Yakima, WA| October 16, 2025] ¬ On Wednesday, October 15, at its 2025 Annual Meeting, Self-Help Federal Credit Union (self-helpfcu.org) elected three members to its board of directors, shared its vision for the future and highlighted things that make central Washington special. The meeting took place at Lower Valley Credit Union at 900 Yakima Valley Hwy, in Sunnyside.
Self-Help Federal regional president Suzy Fonseca gave a warm welcome to members, local partners, community leaders and more who were given information about the credit union’s impact over the years.
Maggie Cervantes, board secretary, called the meeting to order and gave the supervisory committee report. She reported that in an unqualified opinion as part of an independent financial audit, Self-Help Federal received a clean audit for the year ending December 31, 2024, with no significant deficiencies noted. An unqualified opinion is a report that is issued when an auditor determines that each of the financial records provided by the small business is free of any misrepresentations and that the financial records have been maintained in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Self-Help Federal executive vice president, Randy Chambers presented a financial update on the credit union’s overall performance for the year, reporting over 2 billion in total assets as of December 2024, with a total net interest income of over 75 million dollars.
In other business, Althea Carr, Guadalupe Preston and Martin Eakes were elected to the board of directors for three-year terms.
Martin Eakes, Self-Help CEO and co-founder highlighted the legacies of its credit union network over the decades.
“Self-Help and has deep roots in community and in some instances, members of our credit union family have legacies going back to the 1800s,” Eakes noted. “As we continue to grow, we know our goal has always been to be a social justice organization that brings underserved communities and progressive coalitions together to work for economic equity.”
Participants were treated to the video, “Go Out and Do More,” which highlights the legacy of Lower Valley Credit Union and its impact working for economic equity for underserved communities.
“A large majority of our early members were rural farm labor and seasonal employees,” explains Cus Arteaga, a long-time Lower Valley Credit Union board member in the video. “We wanted to keep those families that had a need for help from being taken advantage of by high interest payday loans. If you start resorting to those it’s just a recipe for disaster.”
The event showcased the high-level equestrian skills of a team of charro horses that performed intricate, rhythmic horsemanship, synchronized steps and movements to music in a display of cultural heritage. Speakers at the event included Antonia Mende, a HUD-certified counselor at Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) of Washington who guides clients through the complexities of first-time homebuyer purchases, foreclosure prevention, and financial education; and Tonantzintla “Tona” Chacón, executive director of the Community for the Advancement of Family Education (CAFÉ), a non-profit organization that advances family and community growth through education by providing opportunities in leadership, civic and social engagement, literacy development, and academic advancement.
Credit unions are owned by the members who use their services. Each year the annual membership meeting reports back on how member deposits, loans and other financial products invest in the well-being of our community.
Self-Help’s annual report is available at self-helpfcu.org.
Althea W. Carr
Althea W. Carr is a retired educator and community leader with over three decades of experience in public education, having taught in Mansfield and Hebron, Connecticut — both home to nationally recognized Blue Ribbon Schools. Beyond the classroom, she has held numerous leadership roles, including president of the Mansfield and Hebron Education Associations, and has been an active voice at state and national education conventions.
Guadalupe “Lupe” Preston
Guadalupe “Lupe” Preston serves as the executive director for St. Joseph Services. Ms. Preston has over 20 years working in the nonprofit community. She currently serves as the executive director for St. Joseph Services. Her past work experience includes leadership roles in the Asset Funders Network, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, the State of Illinois Department of Human Services, Central States SER and SERCO, MALDEF, and Legal Services in Chicago. Lupe is deeply committed to the empowerment and development of marginalized communities. She believes in giving people the opportunity to succeed through education and access to financial opportunities.
About Self-Help Federal Credit Union
Self-Help Federal Credit Union was established in 2008 to expand access to responsible financial services for working families and communities historically excluded from the financial mainstream. Today, with over $2 billion in assets and more than 130,000 members, Self-Help Federal operates 44 branches across six states: 22 in California, 2 in Connecticut, 9 in Illinois, 4 in South Carolina, 5 in Washington, and 2 in Wisconsin. It is one of the nation’s fastest-growing community development financial institutions.
Self-Help Federal is part of the Self-Help family of nonprofit organizations, united by a mission to create and protect ownership and economic opportunity for all. For over 40 years, the Center for Community Self-Help and its affiliates have provided more than $12 billion in financing to help over 174,000 people buy homes, launch businesses, and build stronger communities. To learn more, visit http://www.self-helpfcu.org.