SECU Foundation Honored with CCUF Hero Award for Partner in Philanthropy
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SECU Foundation has been named a recipient of the 2024 Carolinas Credit Union Foundation (CCUF) Hero Award for Partner in Philanthropy. The award honors the Foundation's commitment and practices that exude philanthropic character and affirm the credit union People Helping People® philosophy.
Established in 2004, SECU Foundation was created to help identify and address large scale community issues in the areas of education, housing, healthcare, and human services. It now stands as the largest charitable organization in the credit union industry and recently celebrated 20 years of impactful giving with commitments exceeding $300 million in grants, scholarships, and loans to benefit North Carolinians in all 100 counties of the state.
The funding for SECU Foundation is unique. State Employees' Credit Union (SECU) members who have an active SECU checking account may choose to contribute through the reallocation of their $1 monthly maintenance fee. Over 99% of those members participate in this concept referred to as The Power of a Dollar.
'We are honored to receive this award from the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation,' said SECU Foundation Board Chair Chris Ayers. 'I am always amazed by the impact one dollar a month can have in addressing community needs throughout our great state. We are pleased to partner with many wonderful non-profits that embody our People Helping People philosophy, and we are incredibly thankful for the generosity of SECU members that enables our Foundation to continue making a transformative impact for the people of our state.'
About SECU and SECU Foundation
A not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members, and federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), SECU has been providing employees of the state of North Carolina and their families with consumer financial services for 87 years. SECU is the second largest credit union in the United States with $53 billion in assets. It serves more than 2.8 million members through 275 branch offices, 1,100 ATMs, Member Services Support via phone, www.ncsecu.org, and the SECU Mobile App. 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 over $300 million for initiatives to benefit North Carolinians statewide.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Get ready for hunger to skyrocket in North Carolina
At a farm market in St. Petersburg, Florida, SNAP recipients were able to use their Electronic Benefits Transfer cards for food. (Photo by Lance Cheung/USDA). It's hard to fathom in a proposal that includes billions upon billions of dollars in tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, but one of the most significant changes included in the massive budget bill approved by the U.S. House late last month was this: big cuts to the nation's main anti-hunger program. Under the legislation, millions of people would lose SNAP food assistance benefits. Meanwhile, states would be saddled with 14 billion dollars in new costs. And the impacts will be felt in the stomachs of families across the nation. As Raleigh-area Congresswoman Deborah Ross explained last week, in her district – one of the state's more affluent ones – 20,000 of her adult constituents will lose all of their SNAP benefits. Statewide, a total of almost half a million people will lose benefits and the cuts will ripple through grocery stores and the economy as a whole. The bottom line: Rep. Ross is right. The Republican budget will cause irreparable harm to the people of our state. All caring and thinking North Carolinians should support her effort to push back. For NC Newsline, I'm Rob Schofield.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
NC's governor signs executive order establishing new advisory council on cannabis
The North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis will hold its first meeting in July. () Governor Josh Stein signed an executive order Wednesday establishing the new North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis. The Council will study and recommend options for a comprehensive statewide approach to cannabis that is grounded in public health and public safety considerations. Stein's order says the new council will learn from lessons in other states and experts and focus on the protection and safety of all North Carolinians, especially the state's youth. The council announced Wednesday includes 24 members and will be co-chaired by State Health Director Lawrence Greenblatt and Robeson County District attorney Matt Scott. Other who will serve on the board will be representatives from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Public Safety, the state Department of Justice, local law enforcement officials, as well as North Carolina farmers. Notably, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians would also have a seat at the table. The Eastern Band first approved the use of medicinal cannabis in 2021, launching recreational marijuana sales on its tribal land last year. In an interview with WRAL on Tuesday, Gov. Stein likened the current situation surrounding cannabis and THC products to the 'wild, wild West.' 'The idea that we have a system where this product, which is a drug that can get you high, is for sale out there without any restrictions on how it's sold to me is insane,' said Stein. Legislators have been grappling with whether to legalize medical marijuana for several sessions as well as how to address the growing number of vape stores that sell THC-infused products. Stein said he hopes the new council can bring Republicans and Democrats from both chambers together to work with health professionals and law enforcement to find common ground. What's clear, said the governor, is that the unregulated marketplace is not working. 'Just go into a vape shop, ask the clerk what product will get me the most high and they will give you something. And it would get you high if you were to take it. So that's not acceptable,' Stein said. 'So, if we don't accept the status quo, what do we want the reality to actually be?' According to the governor's office the rate of emergency department visits in North Carolina for intoxicating cannabis ingestion among children and youth ages 17 and under has increased more than 600 percent in recent years, and among older teens, the rate has increased more than 1,000 percent. Senator Bill Rabon, a cancer survivor and the primary sponsor of the Compassionate Care Act, has been a leading voice for medical marijuana legislation. He is one of four legislators asked to serve on the advisory council. Rabon (R-Brunswick) told his colleagues last year that there was very little difference between products like Delta 9 and marijuana and the state would be wise to craft its own regulatory framework. Legislation to regulate hemp-derive consumables and medicinal marijuana passed the NC Senate last June, only to languish in the House. The new Council will consider public health considerations, potential marijuana prescriptions for certain conditions, as well as what regulatory guardrails are needed regarding potency and purity standards. Another consideration would be the possibility of expunging past convictions that do not align with the recommendations of the Council, including for simple possession of marijuana. According to Pew Research, nearly six-in-ten Americans (57%) believe that marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational purposes. USA Today, citing the group DISA Global Solutions, reported in April that North Carolina is one of a tiny minority of just six states in which marijuana is fully illegal for both recreational and medicinal purposes. The North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis will hold its first meeting in July submitting preliminary recommendations for a comprehensive cannabis policy to the Stein by March 15, 2026. In the meantime, the governor said he would like the General Assembly to prohibit the sales of products that contain intoxicating THC to anyone under 21 by requiring photo ID age-verification, while requiring packaging that lets adults know what is actually in the cannabis products they may be buying. Read Stein's Executive Order below: EO16-Cannabis-Advisory-Council
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Associated Press
SECU Awards Summer Camp Scholarships to 457 Youth Members Statewide
RALEIGH, N.C., June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- State Employees' Credit Union (SECU) has concluded its fourth annual Summer Camp Awards campaign, granting $500 scholarships to 457 young members throughout North Carolina. Recipients were selected through random drawings, with one FAT CAT® and one Zard® winner per branch from all eligible entries. The scholarships will be used for the registration costs and associated fees at the summer camp chosen by each youth winner. Applicants submitted an illustration or essay about their dream camp experience to be entered into the contest. Since its launch in 2022 the program has provided scholarships totaling $508,000 to 1,016 FAT CAT and Zard members. Summer Camp Awards were established to encourage young members to expand their knowledge through fun and engaging summer camps and provide financial support to help youth families pursue these impactful opportunities. 'Parks was very excited when he found out he was a Summer Camp Award winner,' said Michael Hamilton, father of Raleigh-Wakefield Branch winner Parks Hamilton. 'For his entry, he drew a picture of pandas, bamboo, flowers, a hummingbird, a seagull, and volcanos – things he's seen in Kung Fu Panda. He will be attending a Tae Kwon Do camp this summer and is really looking forward to it.' 'We are so pleased to contribute to our young members' summer camp experiences and continue our support for SECU families across the state through this beneficial program for a fourth consecutive year,' said SECU President and CEO Leigh Brady. 'The educational opportunities afforded to youth through summer camps are so incredibly valuable, and I want to offer our sincere congratulations to this year's winners!' About SECU A not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members, and federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), SECU has been providing employees of the state of North Carolina and their families with consumer financial services for 88 years. SECU is the second largest credit union in the United States with $55 billion in assets. It serves more than 2.8 million members through 275 branch offices, 1,100 ATMs, Member Services Support via phone, and the SECU Mobile App. Contact: Sandra Jones, Communications, [email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
