The SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals is planning an expansion from 40 to 75 rooms, and the member-funded State Employees' Credit Union (SECU) Foundation has issued a $2M challenge grant to motivate statewide donations to the $8M building campaign.

Family House is located near UNC Hospitals and provides affordable lodging and support to adult patients and families who are far from their own homes during their treatment. The SECU Foundation funded the original building campaign, and statewide SECU branch locations have been steadfast supporters since Family House opened in 2008.

“The SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals is proud to share both the SECU name and its mission to serve the people of North Carolina. Expansion will provide, for years to come, a safe, affordable home for patients and their loved ones who are suffering from illness,” said President of the Family House Board of Directors Matthew G. Ewend, MD, FACS. Dr. Ewend is Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at UNC Hospitals.

The Foundation’s $2M challenge grant will be awarded in increments, with the first $1M awarded at groundbreaking for the new wing. Fundraising for the SECU Family House Share the House capital campaign is underway, and in parallel, the campaign committee is seeking appropriate building approvals from the University of North Carolina and the Town of Chapel Hill. The Share the House campaign is chaired by longtime Family House volunteers Bob and Becky Woodruff and Maureen O’Connor.

The member-funded SECU Foundation began supporting SECU Family House as one of its first projects in 2005 with a $2 million challenge grant to build the original 40-room hospitality house in Chapel Hill.

"It takes the collaborative efforts of many caring people to provide such extraordinary hospitality, comfort, encouragement and tangible resources to guests all under one roof," noted SECU Foundation Board Chair Jim Johnson. "An additional $2 million challenge grant for a new wing at SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals illustrates the tremendous impact of this project and SECU members' commitment to help extend Family House services to an even greater number of North Carolinians in their time of need."

Support from SECU, UNC Health Care, area businesses, and hundreds of volunteers make a difference in the lives of more than 2,000 Family House guests each year. As UNC Hospitals and its system of care throughout the state continue to grow, Family House is a critical link in alleviating barriers to accessing the highest-quality health care. Our 40 rooms are in constant use, and two of every three guests who are referred by a patient's medical care team are turned away. The expansion campaign will nearly double the size of the House to serve more guests, create a larger support network, and impact the health of more patients and families in North Carolina and beyond.

For more information about the Share the House expansion campaign, visit secufamilyhouse.org/share

For information about the SECU Foundation, see the Foundation press release