FRANKLIN, N.C. – With help from SECU Foundation, a ribbon cutting was held here to mark the opening of a new home for a Macon County emergency shelter that serves women and children who are survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in both Macon and Jackson counties – the VanDrake Shelter.
State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) members, via the SECU Foundation, partnered with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency to provide REACH of Macon County, Inc. with a $742,000 interest-free construction loan to aid in the construction of a new 20-bed facility. Representatives from the Raleigh, N.C.-based SECU joined REACH partners and community supporters for the celebration.
REACH of Macon County was established in 1990 as a non-profit with a mission to eradicate domestic violence and sexual assault crimes in Macon and Jackson counties through prevention, intervention and education. REACH provides residents with an array of services including counseling, court advocacy, assistance with employment, education and housing, helping women and children live independent and violent free. In the last fiscal year, the non-profit served 968 new clients, providing 2,910 shelter nights and 8,730 meals in its original 12-bed shelter.
Mike Williams, Senior Vice President of SECU’s Franklin branch remarked, “We are proud to assist an organization that has the tools, resources and 25 years of experience in providing victims of abuse with the support they need to help strengthen and restore their lives. SECU Foundation’s partnership with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency for the construction of VanDrake Shelter will help ensure that REACH of Macon County has a stronger impact in communities served.”