SECU Foundation awards $800,000 to rural nonprofits

The SECU Foundation is distributing $800,000 in grants to rural nonprofits around the state. 

The grants are part of a foundation program that provides $40,000 awards to rural organizations, many in marginalized and underserved communities.

According to a news release, the funding targets nonprofits that focus on a wide spectrum of needs, including housing and shelter, youth services, food insecurity, mental health services, and arts education. The awards are designed to complement larger-scale grants provided by the SECU Foundation, which is chartered by the State Employees’ Credit Union’s board of directors.

Among the recipients is the Peacehaven Community Farm in Guilford County, a sustainable farm catering to special needs residents.

Another grant will benefit the North Wilkesboro-based Blue Ridge Opportunity Commission, which provides support to low-income residents in the Foothills and High Country.

And the SECU Foundation is awarding funding to Ashe County’s Lost Province Center for Cultural Arts, where the focus is on preserving the Historic Lansing School and cementing its status as a center for Southern Appalachian traditions.