Our Story

Our Mission

Our Partners

Several organizations with a long history of community work have come together at Avila to nurture its growth as a center for connection and coalition. This collaborative governance emphasizes the commitment of Avila to personal empowerment through synergy, creating an environment that nourishes both the individual and the community. Find out more about our partner organizations below:

Interested in joining us? Reach out to Brian Schneiderman at avila@self-help.org

Our History

The Avila Center for Community Leadership has a long history as a space for reflection and community. Located on 50 acres of land in northern Durham, Avila began in 1957 as a Carmelite monastery, serving as a home for nuns following the teachings of the property’s namesake, Teresa of Avila (1515–1582).  In 1980, the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh acquired the property and opened it as a retreat center. For the next 40 years, Avila served as a nondenominational gathering place for various faith groups and nonprofit organizations.

In 2019, the Diocese closed the Center and put the property up for sale. Michael Young of United for a Fair Economy had a vision to turn Avila into a collaborative center for community organizing. Self-Help was looking to pursue a similar venture, leading Michael to reach out to find a path forward. Soon after, Self-Help Ventures Fund bought Avila in December 2019. Without delay, Self-Help worked with Michael, United for a Fair Economy, Union of Southern Service Workers, and Peace Hill to start fortifying a collective vision.

Together, we are repurposing Avila as a community organizing retreat center, where those who are working to promote social justice can come to be nurtured by this sacred space, the leadership development opportunities, and the contemplative silence.

Self-Help and Avila

Self-Help Ventures Fund is part of a family of affiliated nonprofits operating within the larger entity of Self-Help. Additional arms of the organization under the Center for Community Self-Help are Self-Help Credit Union, Self-Help Federal Credit Union and the Center for Responsible Lending. Additionally, Self-Help’s mission is to create and protect ownership and economic opportunity for all through responsible lending, advocacy, community development, and credit union financial services. 

Though it might seem odd for a financial institution to purchase a retreat center property, we saw in Avila an opportunity to deepen our impact in the community. 

Our vision is to work with our partners to grow Avila into a space where community groups, organizers and leaders can come together to connect, learn, rejuvenate, and — together — make lasting change in the South and beyond.