On Thursday and Friday, April 26th and April 27th, 2012, the Tar Heels for SECU Family House BBQ and GolfTournament hosted by Coach Roy Williams and new Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham will take place at SECU Family House and UNC Finley Golf Course. All proceeds from the tournament benefit SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals, a hospitality house providing comfortable, convenient, and affordable housing and support services for patients undergoing treatment for critical illness or trauma.

We are excited to have Coach Williams and Bubba Cunningham’s support to SECU Family House. Coach Williams and the basketball team have been annual donors to Family House.

Having recently moved to Chapel Hill the new Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham was honored to be a part of co-hosting this event. We are fortunate to have this dynamic duo.

Invited and registered guests will gather for a tailgate barbeque ($75 per person) on the grounds of SECU Family House the night before the tournament. There will be a short program, live music, a raffle and auction of thoughtfully selected gifts, featuring sports memorabilia.

An invitation to attend the BBQ and play golf will follow. Golf foursomes fill up quickly, so we encourage you to register now by calling (919) 932-8001 or registering online at www.secufamilyhouse.org.

• Everette James, an expert on American art of the early 20^th Century, will kick off the series on August 24^th with a session called “North Carolina Art Pottery, The Art of the State.”
• Elaine O’Neil, a local textile artist with a significant following, will discuss the pleasures and peculiarities of being a textile artist on September 21st.
• Freddie Kiger’s October 5th presentation on “Ladies, Fall In! Women of the American Civil War” will fascinate anyone who has never heard Freddie hold forth on one of his favorite subjects.
• Holden Thorp will join Terri Houston on October 19th for an evening of jazz and American music.

We are still busy filling in the remainder of the calendar. Sessions will be for house guests and open to presenters’ friends and neighbors. A brief reception, greetings from a host of the evening, and an introduction to Family House will precede each session.

These evenings will offer our guests a brief reprieve from the stresses of their day and expose them to the vibrant epicenter of culture that is the Triangle. At the same time, the series allows us to raise awareness of the House and engage potential supporters who will witness its impact on the patients and their families.

If you have any interest in these evenings or know someone that you would like to bring to the house, or someone that we could put on the schedule, please contact Yvonne Knutson at yvonne@secufamilyhouse.org or 919-932-8001.

Leading the coordination of the church’s “Mission Month for SECU Family House” were Jacquie Terry and Billy Terry, both former guests and relatives, who often stayed at the House at the same time while facing the daily challenges of their spouses’ treatments. Billy’s wife (and Jacquie’s sister), Lisa, passed away in April, 2009, after nearly a year of intermittent stays at SECU Family House and a 5 ½-year-long fight against leukemia. Jacquie’s husband Danny (Billy’s brother) passed away in May, 2009, after several months of treatment for pancreatic cancer at UNC Hospitals.

Although the extended Terry family had been supporting Family House from afar since Danny and Lisa had passed away, Jacquie and Billy encouraged their fellow church members to devote May’s “Mission Month” to in-kind support of Family House, a place that had been such a welcome retreat at a painful time in their lives. Earlier in the year, Jacquie invited Yvonne Knutson, our director of marketing and community relations, to speak at her church. Yvonne says that, when she arrived that Sunday evening for her presentation, she “quickly realized it was more of a family than a group of church members.” Billy shared his story about what Family House meant to him when his wife Lisa and his brother Danny needed treatment far from home.

What started as an initiative to collect a few toiletries for guests became a much larger venture, including a sizeable collection of welcome bags, pantry staples including boxes of Splenda, sugars, baking goods, Ziploc bags, toilet paper and paper towels, a blender and a food processor. It was an added treat that these good folks from Hope Mills prepared a meal that night for Family House guests and stayed to visit with the families.

The Terry family’s continued involvement exemplifies the positive impact families have on Family House even after they have left. The generosity and kindness shown by this group is remarkable and will make a difference for many families who need Family House this summer and into the fall.  This church embraces its call to love their neighbor.

If your church or community group would like to conduct a collection of Wish List items on behalf of Family House or invite a Family House staff member to share more information about what we offer, who we serve, and how you might help, please contact Yvonne Knutson, director of marketing and community relations, at Yvonne@secufamilyhouse.org or 919-932-8001.

First drawn to our annual gala, where they served as Bronze Sponsors in 2008, Laura and Uday have continued to increase their support for that important event while at the same time finding a variety of other ways to contribute to the work we do. In 2010 and 2011, they became major sponsors of the Butch and Tammy Davis Tailgate Golf Tournament.

Laura, who is always looking for creative ways to support the House, wanted to boost our profile in the community. So it was that she and Uday decided to make a gift last year of $100 for every UNC varsity basketball and football win, a risky thing to do, given Carolina’s winning ways.

So, not only was our name bandied about in the Dean Dome and at Kenan Stadium on advertisements about it, but the gift amounted to $3,700, a major addition to our bottom line and a lifeline for families in medical crisis.

The Reebyes do not restrict their philanthropic activity to Family House. They are strong supporters of the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Race for the Cure. But, they invest themselves in so many ways in the community and with their dental practice, Triangle Implant Center. Recently, the Reebyes and nine co-workers headed to Asheville to work a twelve-hour shift providing free dental care and procedures to the homeless and others in dire need as part of North Carolina Missions of Mercy.

When asked what their motivation for giving is, Laura replied: “We are raising two daughters and we want them to understand the importance of giving and compassion. We want them to realize everyone has the power to make a difference in someone’s life, big or small. Uday and I have a special interest in supporting organizations associated with UNC as Uday went to the medical school and I did my undergraduate studies there. Family House was the perfect fit. The facility itself is beautiful and it is a well run, honest, integral part of our community. We couldn’t be more excited to support an organization that is doing great work like this in our own backyard.”

Laura serves currently on the SECU Family House board of directors. We are fortunate to have them so involved and engaged in the work that we do to provide lodging for hundreds of families in need of housing, healing, and hope.

Reposted from TWILL NC:

TWILL’s first service project, the Supplies Drive for SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals, was a resounding success!   Our ladies really came through with extra effort and support from the community. By our estimates, we collected well over $2,000 worth of supplies. See the complete list below.  Thank you to everyone who participated in any way, large or small. Your donation will be of benefit to a guest of SECU Family House who is probably dealing with a grave illness or injury, either of a family member or his or herself.

We would like to give special recognition to businesses in our community who were particularly supportive and without whom, the drive would not have been quite as spectacular as it was. A very special thank you to the NC State Employees Credit Union who has always been a big supporter of Family House. Randall Wellborn really jumped at the opportunity to let us put collection boxes in 6 of their Chapel Hill branches which produced LARGE quantities of toiletries. Thank you, Randall! Your enthusiasm was infectious.

We would also like to thank Terri Taylor of Office Depot who procured a whole case of printer paper, most of which will be used by guests of SECU Family House while using the seven computers donated by the Mia Hamm Foundation.  Thank you to TWILL member Kaitlan Phelps of Babiology who hosted our central pick-up spot for Raleigh. Thank you to RMF Engineering in Raleigh andPartners in Health and Wellness in Chapel Hill for also hosting drop-off boxes. And thank you to Fran Gualtieri of La Residence Restaurant and Bar in Chapel Hill who got involved during our very last week and made a big difference. And a personal thank you to TWILL member Linda Anderson of Lighting Language & Design who painted up some beautiful drop boxes and to all of the other TWILL ladies who made this possible.

We estimate that we provided SECU Family House with:

750+ bottles of hotel-sized toiletries, shampoo/conditioner, lotion, and tissues

100+ rolls of paper towels.  Greg Kirkpatrick, the executive director, says this will probably get them thru Thanksgiving.

130+ bottles of water – my back is still feeling that one!

100+ kitchen sponges

20+ pounds of coffee plus PLENTY of sugar, artificial sweeteners, and creamer to go in it.

21 much needed reams of printer/copy paper

More individual snack foods, chips, pretzels, and Goldfish than we could count. Just take our word for it, it was A LOT!  And food storage containers out the wazoo!  There was some bakeware and 7 can openers, 10 containers of dishwasher detergent and 6 bottles of cooking oil.  We had some miscellaneous can food thrown in, some cleaning products, some baby powder, and even a pair of socks. We also had over $100 in gift cards which SECU Family House will use to stock up in the future.

Thank you again to everyone who participated!  We’d also like to remind you that SECU Family House runs on private donations and volunteers and has an ongoing year-round need for your help. Please keep them in mind for future donations of your time, talent, and dollars. Their door is always open to people off the street who want to drop off supplies, bake a cake, or fold laundry. Online donations can be made directly to SECU Family House here. Thank you!

TWILL (Triangle Women’s Initiative for Leadership and Learning) is a service organization dedicated to helping women in the Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill area.  The Supplies Drive for SECU Family House is their first service project.  To find out more about TWILL, visit www.twillnc.com/about, email twillwomen@gmail.com,  or call 919-219-7698.

There’s no place like home at the holidays. At Family House, we know our guests yearn for home. But, for those patients and families who do spend the holiday season with us here, we try to keep it as homey as possible.   Fun events and performances throughout December will help to make the holidays merry and bright for guests. See what’s coming up:

Thursday, December 1

The Triangle Tuba Quartet will play at 7 p.m. The quartet will kick off the holiday season at Family House with a variety of holiday music.

Tuesday, December 6

The Swift Creek Band will play a mix of bluegrass, country, folk, and rock songs at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, December 7

The pre-professional young musicians of the Mallarmé Youth Chamber Orchestra will perform orchestral and chamber music at 7 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 8

Deck the Halls holiday event begins at 6 p.m., and will include a performance by Cadence, a glee club from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Monday, December 12

Pianist Erich Lieth will play jazz music at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, December 13

A Brass Ensemble will perform at 7 p.m.

Thursday, December 15

Haw River Elementary School Gospel Choir will perform at 7 p.m.

Monday, December 19

The duo Jan and Julie will perform Christmas music at 7 p.m.

Thursday, December 20

Stella, a female a cappella group, will perform at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, December 21

Gabriel Pelli from the band The Old Ceremony will play solo Christmas pieces on the violin at 7 p.m.

In addition to the holiday performances and events, community members will provide dinner for families and patients every Monday through Thursday and several weekends during December. The Jester Group and volunteers will provide a special Christmas dinner at 2 p.m. on December 25.

Since SECU Family House at UNC started operations, SECU branches have contributed forcefully to our mission and the needs of seriously ill adult patients and their families clear across North Carolina.

Pictured above: Executive Director Greg Kirkpatrick and House Manager Janice Ross (far right) receiving SECU branch donations

The last three years of donations from SECU branches gives you an idea of the steady and impressive financial contribution. In 2008, the year SECU Family House opened, branches donated slightly more than $4,000. In 2009, that figure nearly tripled to $10,200. In 2010, SECU associates blew the roof off, raising a whopping $73,577. A large portion of that—$66,500—came from an SECU Family House Cookbook sale alone—from employees’ own family recipes.

Most recently, Shannon Taylor, a Senior Financial Services Officer at the Chapel Hill (Pittsboro Street) branch, generated a donation worth hundreds of dollars. At Thanksgiving, she casually mentioned to her own family that Family House could really use some new kitchen equipment. Shannon’s step-brother heeded the call and connected her to one of his marketing firm’s clients, Bradshaw, which manufacturers Good Cook kitchen utensils. Last week, we received four (!) kitchens’ worth of brand new cookware and bakeware and a wide variety of special kitchen utensils.  Time for an early Spring cleaning!

Pictured above, left to right: Molly Gold (representing Go Mom!), Yvonne Knutson (Family House), Shannon Taylor (SECU) and Family House Board Member Randall Welborn (SECU). Click on the picture for a clearer view of the donations.

Inasmuch as they help to prepare meals for our guests on a regular basis, SECU branches themselves will make good use of the new kitchenware. Volunteer groups of all kinds prepare and serve congregate meals at least three times a week now, and the SECU branches are represented at least once or twice a month. Just in the past year, the following branches have prepared meals for our guests: Clayton, Fuquay Varina, Raleigh-Stonehenge, Snow Hill, Kinston, Oxford, Henderson, Louisburg, Chapel Hill (Pittsboro St), Mebane, Warrenton, Hillsborough and Butner. A very special shout-out goes to the group from Kinston, who made the longest trek to prepare dinner, but an honorable mention certainly goes to Snow Hill. That’s commitment!

The branches also help sustain our daily operations by collecting essential household items, including: gift cards (to grocery stores and larger retail stores), toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, napkins, trash bags, body soap, dish soap, laundry soap, sponges, personal hygiene products, stamps, canned goods, coffee and copy paper. During the holidays, this activity was pronounced, with cartloads of donated household items arriving daily in mid-December. SECU employees have made us feel as if our wish (list) is their command.

SECU Foundation Executive Director Mark Twisdale comments, “SECU employees live the Credit Union ‘People Helping People’ philosophy both personally and professionally. They enthusiastically embrace opportunities to fill a need and make a positive difference for others in their communities and throughout the State. SECU Family House fills a critical need for so many patients and patient families during a very difficult time in their lives and our staff are proud to support such a special ‘People Helping People’ kind of place.”

In a continuing display of their interest in our mission, 230 SECU Teller Managers toured the House as part of a statewide meeting in Durham. The group left inspired with new ideas of how to support Family House, either from afar through branch-based fundraisers or the collection of Wish List items—or through ongoing meal preparation and volunteer activities in-house, for those close enough to UNC.

Pictured above: a handful of the 230 visiting Teller Managers learning more about the House from Executive Director Greg Kirkpatrick

Because we serve patients and families from every county in North Carolina, it’s particularly gratifying to have employees from SECU branches all over the state play a role in extended customer care, as it were.  So many of our guests are members of SECU, and we know how grateful they are for this home away from home.

Put simply, SECU has proven that “there is a difference.” Its associates continue to embody their own Credit Union philosophy of “People Helping People.”

At least once or twice a week, musicians play for House guests after dinner. Having a piano on-site allows us to invite musicians to play who require piano accompaniment. And, of course, any talented House guests who wish to express themselves through music can use the piano. Thank you, Michael and Jennifer!

We also recently received a set of sound equipment, including an amplifier, microphone (with stand), wireless microphone, speaker (with stand) and all of the cords that go with it. For this we thank Bill Bolen, a long-time supporter of Family House through his musical talents and wisdom. He donated this sound equipment to Family House so it can be used by guest musicians when they play here and for other special events held at the House.

I have only been an official employee of SECU Family House for a little over a month.  My involvement with the House began, however, before it opened.   So, as a part of the staff, I have quickly learned many special but not surprising things about this amazing home away from home.  The first, and most, apparent is the dedication and commitment of the volunteers that make this House what it is.  It is nice to know that others recognize this essential aspect of Family House.  I was only here two weeks before we received a donation from Casey & Cayman Campbell.

I wanted to share what they had to say:

“The L & N Andreas Foundation would like to donate $25,000 to SECU Family House in honor of all your generous volunteers. We are moved by the love and support so many give to your organization by donating their time and efforts towards such an unbelievable cause. Therefore after reading the packet of info you sent me I have decided to let you chose what area is in the most need of our donation and hope that you will let your volunteers know that they have inspired us.”

I am honored to be a part of a place that inspires that kind of giving; giving which itself is inspired by the actions of so many thoughtful, caring and selfless volunteers. These volunteers help with everything from welcoming guests at reception and orienting them to the house, to cooking meals, folding laundry, cleaning the kitchen, working on special events, or planting shrubs and tending the flower beds.

They make me look forward to coming in to work and feel like I make a difference.

A selection of photos has been posted on Facebook here.

Special offer for Tournament Golfers!

The third annual Butch and Tammy Davis Tailgate Golf Tournament and BBQ grossed $145,550 for SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals.

The  two-day combined event—a BBQ and Auction Thursday evening, followed by a golf tournament at UNC’s Finley Golf Course on Friday—involved close to 400 guests, including sponsors, donors, golfers, volunteers, House guests and patients, and helped to spread the word about the work being done at Family House.

The event’s main sponsors were Tammy and Butch Davis who not only hosted the BBQ and Auction, but gave the major gift to underwrite the event. The other primary sponsors were UNC Health Care, RBC Bank and Skanska. (Click here for full list of 2011 Sponsors)

The silent and live auctions together brought in $25,955 for the House; patrons of the BBQ paid another $9,000 to eat ribs and BBQ that was donated by the Chapel Hill Restaurant Group.

The Louis Moinet Chronograph, a limited edition timepiece that Coach Davis wore throughout the 2010-2011 football season, brought in the single-highest bid at Thursday’s auction: $5,000. Woody Durham, the voice of the Tar Heels, served as emcee for the evening’s festivities.

The co-chairs for the BBQ and Auction Co-Chairs were Yvonne Knutson and Carol Richards and the Golf Tournament Co-Chairs were Sally Austin and Ann Petersen. The staff and event co-chairs are grateful for the event’s volunteer coordinators Barbara Gordon, Suzanne Kozel and Dianne Woodward.

In addition to the sponsors, special thanks are in order for: Mike Adair, Don Basnight, Benjamin Graphics, Café Carolina, Carolina Dining Services, Chapel Hill Magazine, Chick-Fil-A, Munroe Cobey, Woody Durham, Mike Fields, Lee Henningsen, Chris Kubiak of Titleist, Dana & Esteban McMahan, John Morris, Maggie Morris, PPD, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Lillie Sapp, Susan Skolsky, Time Out Restaurant, Top of the Hill, UNC Athletic Department, UNC Cheerleading Team, UNC Finley Golf Course, UNC Football Team, UNC Men’s & Women’s Golf Teams, Walgreen’s.

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OTHER THINGS YOU CAN DO:

Golf foursomes will soon have access to their tournament photos with Coach Davis!

Check out photos of last year’s event