In Brief: SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, N.C., received a $25,000 grant from the John William Pope Foundation of Raleigh, N.C. The grant will support House’s family assistance fund, “Fund A Family,” and will benefit 110 families with an adult patient receiving treatment for a serious illness at UNC Hospitals.

Full Release: CHAPEL HILL, N.C. DEC. 11, 2013 – SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals received a $25,000 grant from the John William Pope Foundation of Raleigh, N.C. SECU Family House is a 40-bedroom hospital hospitality house in Chapel Hill, N.C. providing housing to seriously ill adult patients at UNC Hospitals and their family members or caregivers.

“This generous gift from the Pope Foundation and family invests in caring for families staying with us during treatment for cancer, transplant, burns, trauma and other serious illnesses,” says Family House Executive Director Janice McAdams.

“The Family Assistance Fund supported by this grant means that families who stay with us don’t have to choose between paying for housing, food or medical bills while they are here with us,” says McAdams. “Here, they have access to beautiful, affordable accommodations where the care and compassion of volunteers, staff and other families make their struggles just a little more bearable.”

The $25,000 grant is directed to the House’s family assistance fund, “Fund A Family,” which provides aid as needed so that guests pay as little as $10 per night for a room at SECU Family House. With that room comes the comforts of home, including home-cooked meals prepared by volunteers most weeknights, and a community of families facing similar struggles. The grant will benefit 110 families by filling the gap between the House’s operating costs and the fees received per room.

“We’re honored to support SECU Family House,” said Joyce Pope, Vice President of the John William Pope Foundation. “The value of providing a caring, hospitable environment for those undergoing difficult cancer treatments, as well as for their families, can’t be overestimated. The number of lives touched is profound, and we’re privileged to play a small role in backing this important work.”

SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals provides an affordable, safe, nurturing home away from home for seriously ill patients, their family members, and caregivers from throughout North Carolina and beyond. Family House is located minutes from UNC Hospitals and supports families of patients—and most often the patient him/herself—receiving treatment for cancer, transplants, trauma, burns, eating disorders, or other serious illness.

The John William Pope Foundation, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, works to improve the well-being of the citizens of North Carolina and the nation through the advancement of individual freedom and personal responsibility. From its first grant in 1986 to the present, the Foundation’s giving has totaled over $100 million, primarily to charities and organizations in North Carolina.

The Foundation is a private family foundation supported by the late John William Pope Sr. and his wife, Joyce W. Pope, and their children: their late son, John William Pope Jr.; Amanda Pope; and Art Pope.

FOR INFORMATION:
John William Pope Foundation Contacts: Dave Riggs or David Bass at 919-861-6449 or press@jwpf.org

SECU Family House Contacts: Executive Director Janice McAdams or Development Officer Kirsten Beattie at 919-932-8000, or kirsten@secufamilyhouse.org