NOTE: As of Feb. 29, 2024, Carolina Youth Development Center (CYDC) has rebranded to Landmarks for Families. Our nonprofit, community programs and residential services remain committed to cultivating thriving youth and families in this new chapter.
On December 6, BECU announced its 2019 People Helping People Awards which recognized Carolina Youth Development Center (CYDC) as a Community Benefit Winner.
The annual awards recognize BECU members and nonprofits in BECU communities including Washington state and Charleston, South Carolina that are dedicated to serving their communities. This year over 800 nominations from its members were placed while 18 were awarded various recognitions and grants.
“Year after year, BECU is honored to recognize inspiring organizations that are making a positive impact in our communities and moving the needle on the issues our members care about,” said Tom Berquist, BECU’s chief marketing officer. “When it comes to giving back, any action big or small can make a difference, and our People Helping People Awards celebrates that notion.”
CYDC was honored as a Community Benefit Winner, which also included a grant for $19,400.
“We are honored to be recognized by an organization that is so important to our community,” said CYDC CEO Beverly Hardin. “BECU employees and the Boeing Community are so integral to the community we have built here at CYDC and our kids are very thankful for their support, mentorship and volunteer efforts.”
CYDC will use the funds they were awarded to hire a case manager position in their Nu House, a home dedicated to helping foster youth ages 18-21 transition into adulthood by providing life skills, training, financial literacy, and assistance with attaining personal records and documentation including birth certificates, licenses and medical records.
“Like BECU, Carolina Youth Development Center has been around a long time. Just as the founders of BECU responded to the needs of neighbors supplying tools so they could be employed during the Great Depression, the citizens of the Lowcountry have been responding to the needs of abandoned children since 1790 by providing for the individual needs of each child who is placed at CYDC,” said Rita Daily, retired Boeing Employee and Vice Chair of the CYDC Board of Directors. “As a BECU member and a member of the CYDC Board of Directors, I am so proud of both organizations and the work being done in our communities that are making positive and measurable impacts.”
About Carolina Youth Development Center:
Founded in 1790 as the Charleston Orphan House, Carolina Youth Development Center’s mission is to empower and equip our community’s most vulnerable children by providing a safe environment, educational support, and career readiness, in collaboration with families and community partners. Our vision is that all children have loving and stable families and a nurturing community that empowers them to lead successful lives. For more information visit CYDC.org.
About BECU:
With more than 1.2 million members and more than $20 billion in assets, BECU is the largest not-for-profit credit union in Washington and one of the top five financial cooperatives in the country. As a member-owned credit union, BECU is focused on helping increase the financial well-being of its members and communities through better rates, fewer fees, community partnerships and financial education. The credit union currently operates more than 50 locations in Washington and two financial centers in South Carolina. For more information, visit www.becu.org.