Self Help connects caring people with neighbors in need. Our donors can depend on our professionalism, careful stewardship, and years of experience to ensure their gift makes a difference.

Local help for local needs. Serving Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, northern Santa Fe, and Taos counties, Self Help represents neighbors helping neighbors.

Aid when it’s needed most. Self Help provides emergency financial aid for food, medicine, rent, and utility bills. Self Help also refers all clients to local social service agencies that can connect them to critical resources such as food and benefits support, mental health counseling, and shelter.

Promoting self-reliance. We focus on aid that most empowers a person’s long-term outcomes. Self Help believes that the best aid is that which underscores a person’s dignity and autonomy. Our seed money program empowers people to develop new income streams and change their lives.

Effective and far-reaching. In 2020, Self Help fielded almost 5,000 phone calls, provided $106,000 in direct financial aid to 452 families and 1,101 household members, gave 1,009 resource consultations and provided 1,797 referrals to other agencies.

Decades of expertise. For more than 50 years, Self Help has served people in need throughout our region. We have unparalleled experience in needs assessment, area resources, and fraud prevention.

Efficient. Self Help’s emergency aid is uniquely fast and flexible. For many families, our aid is the only aid that can arrive in time to avert disaster. And our seed money program is the only one of its kind in the region.

Value and stewardship. We maximize donations with low overhead due to free office space and donated equipment. And with some 2,000 volunteer hours a year, our nonprofit needs only two paid staff members to provide a high level of client service. When you give to Self Help, your money goes where it’s most needed.

READY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

“Thank you for providing help and hope. Thank you for believing in me during my darkest moments. Without Self Help I could not have moved into feeling hopeful for my future.”
_{-Letter from a client}