Raleigh, N.C. – The Masonic Home for Children at Oxford (MHCO) has received a $40,000 Capacity Building Grant from the SECU Foundation to help the non-profit develop a comprehensive plan for the expansion of their Independent Living Program (ILP) for youth ages 18-23 who are transitioning from foster care to adulthood.  An announcement was made yesterday during a district-wide SECU Advisory Board meeting held at the Granville County campus, where SECU Foundation Board Chair Bob Brinson presented the ceremonial check to MHCO officials.

“We are pleased to help the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford further their mission to assist children and young adults who need a stable, caring, and loving home,” remarked Bob Brinson.  “MHCO has a long history and proven track record of providing residential care services to children and families.  We hope the Foundation’s grant will help them move forward with increasing their capacity and expanding ILP services to help address the needs of the foster care population.”

The state licensed and nationally accredited Masonic Home for Children at Oxford has been operating since 1872.  It is one of the few facilities with a statewide reach to provide an independent living program for young adults in addition to offering residential care services and support programs for children from infancy to adulthood.  SECU Foundation’s grant will assist MHCO with assessing organizational strengths and growth areas, improving statewide marketing strategies and fundraising efforts for continued sustainability, training staff for program expansion, and obtaining a new ILP campus design.

“The Masonic Home for Children at Oxford is honored and humbled to receive this generous and thoughtful gift from the SECU Foundation to address capacity issues,” said Kevin Otis, Administrator of the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford.  “MHCO is North Carolina’s first children’s home, and over 10,000 children have had an opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed at tremendous levels thanks to the support of our gracious donors.  This tradition continues today as SECU Foundation and MHCO join together to brighten our children’s futures.”

About SECU and the SECU Foundation

A not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members, SECU has been providing employees of the state of North Carolina and their families with consumer financial services for 82 years.  The Credit Union also offers a diversified line of financial advisory services including retirement and education planning, tax preparation, insurance, trust and estate planning services, and investments through its partners and affiliated entities.  SECU serves over 2.4 million members through 267 branch offices, nearly 1,100 ATMs, 24/7 Member Services via phone, a website, www.ncsecu.org and a 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 more than $169 million for initiatives to benefit North Carolinians statewide.