SECU Foundation Grant Helps New Hanover County Non-Profit Open Doors to New Shelter

SECU Foundation recently announced its support for Domestic Violence Shelter & Services, Inc. (DVSS), providing $450,000 in funding to complete the non-profit’s capital campaign to open a newly built shelter in New Hanover County. DVSS is the only agency in the county that provides emergency shelter and support services to individuals impacted by domestic violence.

DVSS serves New Hanover County residents and provides additional support for Pender and Brunswick counties. In 2021, DVSS assisted 1,285 victims and their children and housed 128 adults and 110 children, for a total of 8,984 shelter nights. The non-profit had been using area hotels for shelter and food delivery services since 2018, when Hurricane Florence destroyed its previous facility.

“DVSS has worked for decades to put an end to domestic violence and provide emergency and support services for survivors,” said SECU Foundation Board Member Jo Anne Sanford. “The new shelter is vital to the health and well-being of those impacted by this violence and who seek hope and a future free from abuse. We are so pleased to provide funding to help this organization open the doors of its new facility.”

“This gift from SECU Foundation helps ensure countless individuals and families have a safer place to lay their heads at night and signifies the Foundation’s commitment to prevent domestic violence and support those who experience it in our community,” said DVSS Executive Director Lauren Daley Bryant. “Domestic violence is a community issue and SECU Foundation has stepped up in a monumental way with their donation to help get the doors open to our new shelter facility.”