SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals, a safe, affordable home for patients and families, is expanding to serve more guests. The Share the House Capital Campaign will add 35 new rooms to the existing 40-room house near UNC Hospitals, and impact the health of more patients and families in North Carolina and beyond.

The campaign has raised 88% of its $8 million fundraising goal, led by key partners State Employees’ Credit Union Foundation, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, and UNC Health Care.

“Our longtime partners SECU, BCBSNC and UNC Health Care understand the many factors that impact health, including the fact that patients and their loved ones need a safe, affordable place to stay when they are far from home and suffering from illness. We are grateful for their significant contribution to our plan to serve more people in our state,” said President of the Family House Board of Directors Matthew G. Ewend, MD, FACS. Dr. Ewend is President of UNC Physicians and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at UNC School of Medicine.

Support from area businesses and hundreds of volunteers make a difference in the lives of more than 2,200 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. The 40 rooms are in constant use, and two of every three families who are referred by a patient’s medical care team are turned away. (For these patients, Family House volunteers work tirelessly to secure a discounted rate at local partner hotels.)

Share the House Campaign Co-chairs Bob and Becky Woodruff, who are longtime volunteers, and Board member Maureen O’Connor invite all to consider contributing to the Share the House expansion campaign.

“At a time when discord and partisanship seem to dominate the news,” said O’Connor, “It is inspiring to see hundreds of volunteers coming together at the local community level to support patients and families in a time of need. That’s what Family House is all about.”

At Family House, patients and their loved ones who travel great distances for life-saving procedures and serious illnesses find normalcy over upheaval and reassurance over uncertainty. Guests come to UNC Hospitals from every county in North Carolina, and from many other states and countries. More than half are receiving treatment for cancer, and others are healing from burns, organ transplants, eating disorders, and other serious illnesses.

Groundbreaking for the expansion will be this summer. For information about the Share the House campaign, see https://www.secufamilyhouse.org/share

This post was sponsored by the SECU Family House.