Our Mission
The SECU Family House on the Richard J. Reynolds, III & Marie M. Reynolds Campus provides affordable lodging and support services in a caring environment for referred adult patients and/or their caregivers who travel to Winston-Salem, N.C., for medical treatment.
Meeting the Need
Winston-Salem has a robust medical community with two nationally ranked medical centers and limited affordable lodging for adult patients and their families. Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center is an 859-bed hospital offering a wide range of services in emergency, medical, surgery, neurology, critical care, oncology, women’s health and wellness and behavioral health. Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is anchored by the 885-bed tertiary-care hospital and campus that is home to the adult and pediatric Level 1 Trauma Centers and Burn Center, Brenner Children’s Hospital, and a 167-bed Comprehensive Cancer Center. The SECU Family House services guests and caregivers for both hospital systems, providing an affordable, compassionate, comfortable alternative to setting up camp in a hospital waiting room or paying for an expensive hotel room in order to be close to hospitals and clinics. Staff and volunteers are on site at all times, 365 days per year, to assist the more than 4,000 families a year who stay at the Family House, as well as the outpatients who come for day respite in between treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy. Referrals to SECU Family House can be made by staff at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and by Trellis Supportive Care. For more on how to stay at the Family House visit here.
Timeline
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$1 million grant from the Richard J. Reynolds, III and Marie M. Reynolds Foundation
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Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center and NC Baptist Hospital Foundation each pledged $250,000 to the Endowment Fund
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$2 million challenge received from State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) Foundation
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First guests stay at the Family House
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Family House serves 10,000th guest
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Winner, HandsOn NWNC High Five Award for Innovation
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Family House hosts inaugural Men Who Cook signature fundraising event
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Family House hires first Support Services Coordinator to evaluate family needs
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Family House serves 20,000th guest
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Family House installs second elevator and reconfigured office and storage spaces
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Education Program awarded Outstanding Community Partner Award by Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center's Physician Assistant Program
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Family House hosts first Dewey's Bakery Pop-up Fundraiser
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Support Services Coordinator transitions to first Volunteer and Community Outreach Coordinator
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Contracted with John Newman Landscape Design for campus landscaping improvements
Our History
In 2000, Beth and Sandy Baldwin’s twenty-six year-old son, Branner, was diagnosed with melanoma. With the possibility of participating in a clinical trial, Branner’s doctor referred him to Pittsburgh, PA. For the four months while Branner was receiving treatment, he and his family made themselves at home at the Pittsburgh Family House. Already strong supporters of the local Ronald McDonald House, living the experience led Beth and Sandy to truly understand the impact of a hospital hospitality home.
After Branner passed away soon after returning to Winston-Salem, Beth and Sandy used their son’s memory to ignite a committee tasked with creating a similar home away from home in Winston-Salem. After years of hard work, collaboration with the medical centers, and support from the entire community, the SECU Family House opened its doors to guests in September 2011.
The Name “SECU”
S-E-C-U stands for State Employees’ Credit Union. This statewide credit union has adopted as one of its charitable causes the establishment of Hospital Hospitality Houses in selected communities that are home to regional medical centers. We are thankful for the $2 million challenge grant that the SECU Foundation provided to help fund construction of SECU Family House in Winston-Salem. Among our other major donors is The Richard J. Reynolds, III and Marie M. Reynolds Foundation, which provided a $1 million lead gift.
Our Impact
98% of guests say their emotional and psychological wellbeing is positively impacted
100% of guests find their stay to be safe and secure
3,914 Families served with Family Assistance Fund
2,384 Warm dinners served