The North Carolina National Guard will hold a ribbon cutting for the grand opening of the new state-funded family assistance center in Lenoir Thursday morning.

According to Major Matt Handley of the National Guard’s Office of Public Affairs, the new facility will be the third of three state-funded family assistance centers.

Handley explained these centers provide legal, financial, and medical assistance to not only military families of the North Carolina National Guard, but all branches of the active and reserve forces not living on or near a military facility.

North Carolina Governor Mike Easley led the initiative for these facilities, and the North Carolina General Assembly was the first in the nation to fund this type of military support facility for military families.

According to Handley, the General Assembly has funded $420,000 annually to create and operate the three facilities in Greensboro, Greenville, and now Lenoir.