To tell the story of Selfhelp is a lot like following a journey. There are unexpected turns and twists that must be navigated carefully and in the case of Selfhelp, the journey's beginnings help to determine future paths.
The story begins in New York, where an organization called Selfhelp existed to help refugees, who had just arrived in the United States, assimilate into the American culture. In the mid 1930’s, a branch of this organization was formed in Chicago. The name Selfhelp came from the immigrants who wanted to help themselves and didn’t want to impose on anyone else.
There were two neighborhood groups comprised mostly of women, with one group located on the north side and the other on the south side. If someone was sick, one of the women would go to the person's home and help with the cooking and the cleaning or caring for the children. A little later, job referral and college scholarship programs were also started. Many of the families had very nice large apartments but they didn’t have a lot of income, so they would rent a room out to recent immigrants and soon, a room referral program was formed. Others taught English to the newcomers. There was no money involved, just good neighbors helping each other out.
A group of young people decided to form the Selfhelp Youth Group. They started to get together with the children of other Selfhelp members and people they knew from their neighborhoods. They put on plays and charged admission to the adults and parents who attended. The money raised was contributed to Selfhelp. At one time, they had as many as sixty members, but eventually the men were drafted into the army in World War II and the youth group disbanded and never started up again.
For several more years, Selfhelp volunteers continued to provide assistance to immigrants from Germany. After the last group of refugees arrived from Shanghai, they helped them to get settled and at that point they almost closed shop because they felt they had completed their mission. At one of their meetings someone asked "what will we do with our parents and relatives? They will need a place to stay as they get older." It was decided that they would try to find a home for them. They had absolutely no money, so they decided to hold a fund drive to raise money to buy a home.
The first fundraising effort was very successful, bringing in $15,000! The committee purchased the first home on Drexel Avenue, and spent almost as much money remodeling the home as it cost to purchase. Most of the work was done with volunteers and in July of 1951, 20 people moved in. There was one professional staff person and volunteers did the rest of the work. The home was very successful and at one point, there were 1,000 names on a waiting list to move in! The home had a central kitchen and a parlor and the rest was broken into separate rooms. Six years later, more rooms were added to the building to accommodate another 20 people. The minimum age for admission was 62 years old. Selfhelp soon outgrew this location and went looking for another site.
The present location on Argyle Street was constructed in sections with the first building opening in 1963. The 908 building, located on the far east side of the building was the first section built. But Selfhelp kept on growing and the demand for housing required the organization to add on two more times.
One of the greatest changes that occurred over time was the increased need for health care. So in 1974, a small health care facility was opened. Initially, the facility offered a lower level of care and today, provides very skilled nursing care. The demand for health care services increased and the construction of the second building, the 930 Building in 1986, included the expansion of the health care facility that now accommodates 65 residents.
The 1970's were a time of great change for Selfhelp. The decision to provide health care services was a difficult one for the organization. The original objective was to provide housing for the elderly and Selfhelp reluctantly moved toward providing assisted living services. Today, a number of residents receive assisted living services and nursing care. This is due to the fact that the average age of residents continues to increase and the need for assistance increases with age.
At the start, nursing care was provided in the health care facility only for residents of Selfhelp who became ill. Gradually, Selfhelp began to admit people who were not residents of Selfhelp. This is an area where there has been a lot of growth in recent years.
Lifestyles also changed during this time. Many of the apartments were designed and constructed as efficiencies and often two people lived in one small apartment. In the beginning, two women might live together in an efficiency or a couple would move in. Gradually, the demand for two room units increased and there was always a waiting list for these apartments. The efficiencies were later converted into one bedroom apartments because people wanted a more luxurious lifestyle.
In addition to the physical changes that have occurred at Selfhelp, there have also been changes in the residents themselves. When Selfhelp opened its first home, the residents were primarily German Jews and German was the primary language spoken. Today, residents are from a variety of backgrounds and Selfhelp serves a much broader Jewish population. Although the volunteers still play an important role, the work that was once completely done by volunteers, is now primarily done by paid professionals.
Selfhelp's journey is far from over and long-range plans are being made to keep the organization thriving and prepared to meet the future.
