Left to right: SECU and SECU Foundation Board Member Michael Clements, SECU Foundation Executive Director Jama Campbell, SECU President and CEO Leigh Brady, and SECU and SECU Foundation Board Member Ben McLawhorn accept awards at Carolinas Credit Union Foundation’s Awards Gala.
State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) and SECU Foundation recently received the inaugural Disaster Response Champions Award from Carolinas Credit Union Foundation (CCUF), recognizing their coordinated response in support of North Carolinians following Hurricane Helene.
Guided by the cooperative principle of concern for community, SECU and SECU Foundation worked to support both members and communities following one of the most destructive storms to impact the state.
SECU prioritized providing critical financial services support while helping members navigate uncertainty, including collaborating with Florida-based Suncoast Credit Union to place a mobile ATM in Asheville during the height of recovery.
“As North Carolinians faced unfathomable challenges and uncertainty after Hurricane Helene, we came together to help our members, our communities, and each other,” said SECU President and CEO Leigh Brady. “Helping meet specific needs and easing the burden of those impacted is truly living out our People Helping People® philosophy.”
SECU Foundation provided immediate relief funding to trusted organizations serving the hardest-hit areas. The SECU Foundation Board of Directors approved nearly $9 million in disaster relief funding distributed in three phases to 12 organizations. That support helped to:
- Serve over 430,000 people,
- Provide more than 2.3 million meals, and
- Assist over 5,000 households through repairs, financial support, and essential needs.
“Hurricane Helene created significant hardship for families in our state,” said SECU Foundation Board Chair Mona Moon. “By supporting organizations already embedded in the communities most affected, we were able to help deliver immediate relief while also supporting the long-term recovery of the region. We are thankful for SECU members who fund the Foundation and for these organizations for their continued work on behalf of North Carolinians.”
SECU and SECU Foundation employees, Board members, and local Branch Advisory Board members further supported recovery efforts through volunteer service and charitable giving, including statewide donation drives held at SECU’s 275 branches.
In addition to the Disaster Response Champions Award, SECU Foundation was jointly recognized with Coastal, Civic, and Carolinas Credit Union Foundations with a Partner in Philanthropy Award for their work on the Credit Union Philanthropy Summit. For more information about the CCUF Awards, visit carolinasfoundation.org/awards/.