Community Partners

The ‘City of Brotherly Love’ continues to come together in our collective,
community effort to help patient-families in need!

Greater Philadelphia Synergy

Our vision is for every family in need of lodging when coming to the Greater Philadelphia area for medical care to be informed in a timely manner about the option of staying at a Host-home, and to be offered lodging suitable to meeting that family’s specific lodging needs.

In these times of the virus, we are mainly only placing patient-families in private-setting lodging: AIRBNBS, in-law suites, cottage houses, homes/apartments which are vacant.

Please contact us if you or someone you know may have some type of private-setting lodging to offer for any length of time.

We further invite all members of our community and beyond to join our collective effort to truly make the most meaningful difference in the lives others.

Medical Partners

Collaborating so patient-families may know of the option of lodging at a Host-home.

LEARN MORE

Corporate Partners

Engaging companies and their associates in Hosting as a community service program.

LEARN MORE

Social Media

Spreading word about the impact and reward of welcoming patient-families into Host-homes.

LEARN MORE

Community Groups

Introducing via any group forum the
opportunity to take part in helping
patient-families

LEARN MORE

Nominate a HfH Hero

Nominate a ‘hero’ who has enabled
patient-families to receive
to receive Host-home lodging

LEARN MORE

Place of Worship

Working with congregations
so Host-homes are available to meet
each patient-family’s needs.

LEARN MORE

Together We Can Make a Difference

We could provide a caring response to many, many more of these families in need if only we had more volunteer host-homes in our network. We also need funds to hire an additional staff person, for we now do all that we do with just two staff people.

VISIT CAMPAIGNS

Open the Door

Please make introductions & connect us to the groups that you are active or affiliated with.

In the News

The Philadelphia Inquirer recognized our program and incredible Hosts in their inaugural section of the paper called The Upside about good things happening in the community!

SEE THE FULL STORY

Medical Partners

Collaborating so patient-families may know of the option of lodging at a Host-home.

Proactive Patient-Patient-Family Support Program

To save patient-families great expense and needless anxiety about where they will be staying,
we work with medical department staff to make the Host-home lodging option
effectively known to patient-families
as close in time as possible to when a medical trip has been arranged.

Best Referral Practice When you or your colleagues know of a patient-family that may benefit from being able to stay at a host-home, we recommend that you tell the family these three things: 1) That you know of a program that may have a wonderful lodging option for them. 2) That if they wish, you will have someone from our program contact them. 3) They will be under no obligation to accept lodging if offered. With the family’s permission you may then call/email us with the contact information for the family. From experiences over many years, we know that merely giving out our phone number is not effective, as families often are too overwhelmed by the medical situation to give timely attention to their lodging.

Referral Spotlight:

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Center for Fetal Diagnosis & Treatment Team

Over the last three years, social workers Liz Morris, Jessica Hertzog and their associates have referred 114 of their patient-families to HOSTS for HOSPITALS!

The advantages of Host-home lodging: • We accept families of patients of all ages • We allow families to make advance reservations • We do not have a distance requirement, (e.g., that the patient lives at least 75 miles away) • We accept families associated with all types of illness, (e.g., cancer or transplant) • There are no restrictions on patient-family size or length of stay • Families will not lose their “spot” at a Host-home if they need to leave for a few days

Additional support for hospital staff. • Printed brochures are available upon your request. • In-service presentations may be arranged at your convenience • We are happy to have our information table at any patient-attended functions or conferences • Our guest-application is available in English, Spanish and Mandarin versions here. We strive to make interacting with our program as easy as possible, as we are deeply appreciate of your time and dedication In making the difference which you do.

Corporate Partners

Engaging companies and their associates in Hosting as a community service program.

Positively Impacting Lives

Are associates at your workplace encouraged to volunteer and make a difference in the community? We welcome developing ongoing relationships with companies and their associates to both sponsor and promote Hosting and recruitment of Hosts to lodge patient-families.

Our corporate involvement program is rooted in personal connections. We each have people with whom we feel a bond. Most everyone can relate to the vulnerability of an out-of-town family coping with a medical situation. For many company associates, helping to provide patient family lodging would be quite meaningful.

Please consider having Hosting patient-families and spreading word about the need for Hosts as one of the volunteer projects championed within your company!

“Imagine...if as few as five people become Hosts as a result of the community engagement activities of the associates at your company, and these Hosts each lodged three patient-families a year for five years, your service program will have helped 75 patient-families!!"

Engagement of Your company and associates

Open the door for us to begin a dialogue with an appropriate team or company level associate.
Arrange a ‘Lunch and Learn’ / other meeting so we may mutually learn about each other’s programs.
Arrange for our information table at community activities at which company associates participate.
Include HOSTS for HOSPITALS in the company Matching Gift Program to magnify the impact.
Celebrate the Hosting and Host-recruitment activities of company associates.
Nominate an associate to our Board of Directors.

Hosts regularly express that they feel they get us much from hosting as do their guests. As a first step, please call 484-380-2999 or send us a message below:

Social Media

Spreading word about the impact and reward of welcoming patient-families into Host-homes.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD

Social media is an excellent way to spread our message and get the support needed to keep our programs going.

WAYS YOU CAN HELP!

1. Check out our FACEBOOK page.
Like us, comment on our posts.

2. Create a birthday or any other fundraising challenge on your FACEBOOK page.
Birthday & other challenges not only provide an opportunity for your friends to make a donation, but provides valuable exposure.

3. Check out our youtube channel.
Our YouTube has some inspiring stories and experiences that bring out the core of our mission. Enjoy and share.

4. Create a Friend-2-Friend appeal.
Friend-2-Friend appeals drum up excitement and interaction.

ABOVE ALL, get involved. Share through all your avenues how much you believe in our mission. Together we can spread the word and help people get the housing needed.

Community Groups

Introducing via any group forum the opportunity to become part of our helping patient-families.

Outreach Throughout the Community About Our Program

Think about how many book clubs, music venues, school programs, community fairs, speakers series, holiday gatherings, organization and neighborhood association meetings which you, your family & friends take part. Each of these types of venues are wonderful opportunities to let people know how through they may help relieve the stress, anxiety and financial burdens of patient-families traveling to Greater Philadelphia for medical care.

Outreach Spotlight

Each year we have exhibitors space at the Pennsylvania Conference for Women. At the October 2019 conference over 40 people signed up, together having affiliations with 22 organizations. One was the Philly Charities which subsequently gave us a $15,000 grant. Five people are becoming Hosts, and "Lunch and Learn" meetings are already scheduled with associates at a number of the companies.

“When I’m hosting I get to be the type of person I want to be.” - Long-time Ardmore Host Bill Wilkinsky

How you may help build an inclusive community

Arrange with us to present to community groups with which you have a connection.
Arrange for our information table at community group venues.
Arrange for information about HOSTS for HOSPITALS to be listed on community group websites.
Nominate individuals from community groups to our Board of Directors.

No community gathering is too small, for just one new host will make a world of difference to the patient-families whom they Help. As a first step, please call 484-380-2999 or send us a message below.

Places of Worship

Working with congregations so Host-homes are available to meet each patient-family’s needs.

Welcoming the Stranger

Hospitality is a core value shared by many faiths (see here). Various traditions express this value in different ways. Fundamental is the understanding that we all, sometimes, need someone to lean on.

The second Guests ever hosted by HOSTS for HOSPITALS were the wife and adult daughter of a man evacuated by medical helicopter from upstate New York to the Hospital of the University of Philadelphia. It was a Thursday night in August of 2000. The Guests drove throughout the night, arriving early Friday morning to the hospital. At 9 pm they went to the Host-home. There were 7 Host-families in our network at this time. These Hosts happened to be Jewish. They delayed their Friday night meal to include their Guests. They received this note from their Guests:

“I want to thank you both for your hospitality. Sharing your Sabbath meal with us was a wonderful experience. I am strong in my faith and sharing your faith brought me much calm and comfort. Thank you for opening your hearts and home to us.”

How to Involve Your Place of Worship

Arrange to have us speak about the reward associated with welcoming patient-families.
Make Hosting and Host-recruitment an ongoing community activity.
List information about HOSTS for HOSPITALS on the community website.

For Host-families with children, by Hosting they will learn Life-long Empathy. As a first step, please call 484-380-2999 or send us a message below:

Community Partners

The ‘City of Brotherly Love’ continues to come together in our collective, community effort to help patient-families in need!

Greater Philadelphia Synergy

Our vision is for every family in need of lodging when coming to the Greater Philadelphia area for medical care to be informed in a timely manner about the option of staying at a Host-home, and to be offered lodging suitable to meeting that family’s specific lodging needs.

Medical Partners

Collaborating so patient-families may know of the option of lodging at a Host-home.

Corporate Partners

Engaging companies and their associates in Hosting as a community service program.

Social Media

Spreading word about the impact and reward of welcoming patient-families into Host-homes.

Community Groups

Introducing via any group forum the opportunity to take part in helping patient-families

Nominate a HfH Hero

Nominate a ‘hero’ who has enabled patient-families to receive to receive Host-home lodging

Place of Worship

Working with congregations so Host-homes are available to meet each patient-family’s needs.

Together We Can Make a Difference

We could provide a caring response to many, many more of these families in need if only we had more volunteer host-homes in our network. We also need funds to hire an additional staff person, for we now do all that we do with just two staff people.

Open the Door

In the News

Medical Partners

Collaborating so patient-families may know of the option of lodging at a Host-home.

Proactive Patient-Patient-Family Support Program

Corporate Partners

Engaging companies and their associates in Hosting as a community service program.

Positively Impacting Lives

Social Media

Spreading word about the impact and reward of welcoming patient-families into Host-homes.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD

Community Groups

Introducing via any group forum the opportunity to become part of our helping patient-families.

Outreach Throughout the Community About Our Program

Places of Worship

Working with congregations so Host-homes are available to meet each patient-family’s needs.

Welcoming the Stranger

The ‘City of Brotherly Love’ continues to come together in our collective,
community effort to help patient-families in need!

Introducing via any group forum the
opportunity to take part in helping
patient-families

Nominate a ‘hero’ who has enabled
patient-families to receive
to receive Host-home lodging

Working with congregations
so Host-homes are available to meet
each patient-family’s needs.