Construction is Underway for SECU Hospice House of Western North Carolina


RALEIGH, N.C., Feb. 22, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Construction of the SECU Hospice House of Western North Carolina (WNC) is officially underway!  A ceremonial groundbreaking held today in Franklin, North Carolina marks a significant milestone for the Hospice House Foundation of WNC and their efforts to bring the first inpatient hospice facility to residents in the six far western counties of the state.  To assist with the initiative, SECU Foundation provided a $40,000 Capacity Building grant to help the Hospice House Foundation assess their strengths and build a financial plan to help them achieve their dream of building a hospice home, and also a $1 million challenge grant for facility construction.

North Carolina has more than 38 inpatient hospice facilities throughout the state, but none in the six counties west of Asheville and Hendersonville, which include Macon, Jackson, Swain, Graham, Clay, and Cherokee.  The SECU Hospice House of WNC will provide residents in these areas with the highest level of inpatient hospice care and support, alleviating the need to refer patients to locations an hour or more away.  The new facility will offer six patient suites and overnight accommodations for family members, a guest kitchen and dining room, family room, chapel, children’s area, and more.

“This is such an exciting day for the Hospice House Foundation of WNC and the residents of our six area counties, including the Qualla Boundary-Cherokee Reservation,” says Michele Alderson, Board Chair of the Hospice House Foundation of WNC.  “Breaking ground on the SECU Hospice House has been a while in the making and we feel blessed that it is finally here.  We would like to thank SECU members and the SECU Foundation for all their generous support and all they do for our State.”

“The Hospice House Foundation of WNC has met the challenge for our Foundation grant and we are proud to support their vision and hard work to bring the citizens in this area a facility that will offer caring and compassionate hospice services close to home,” said Bob Brinson, SECU Foundation Board Chair.  “With such strong support from the medical community and local citizens, the SECU Hospice House of WNC will no doubt have an immediate and positive impact in the region.  Today’s groundbreaking is the success of many dedicated people working together to make this project happen, and we look forward to the grand opening!”

About SECU and the SECU Foundation
A not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members, SECU has been providing employees of the State of North Carolina and their families with consumer financial services for over 81 years.  The Credit Union also offers a diversified line of financial advisory services including retirement and education planning, tax preparation, insurance, trust and estate planning services, and investments through its partners and affiliated entities.  SECU serves over 2.3 million members through 265 branch offices, nearly 1,100 ATMs, 24/7 Member Services via phone and a website, www.ncsecu.org.  The SECU Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization funded by the contributions of SECU members, promotes local community development in North Carolina primarily through high impact projects in the areas of housing, education, healthcare and human services.  Since 2004, SECU Foundation has made a collective financial commitment of more than $154 million for initiatives to benefit North Carolinians statewide.

Contact:  Jama Campbell, Executive Director
Office:  919-839-5562 | secufoundation@ncsecu.org

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6ecaf6fa-105c-4ad1-99a7-dff09997b9fe

Drawing  of SECU Hospice House - Front Elevation