WHY START A HOST HOMES PROGRAM?

Accommodate Overflow:
Reduce the risk of having to turn people away just when they are most in need. A volunteer host homes program provides an alternative to overflow guests.

Financial Incentives:
Capital costs for building a new house are high and climbing. With costs of $15.00 to $20.00 per night, a host homes program is a cost-effective way to house patients and their family members.

Avoid Zoning Constraints:
Avoid zoning hassles and resistance from neighbors.

Temporary Solution:
While you're waiting for new space to become available, host homes can be a temporary solution to your housing needs.

Promote Volunteerism:
Hosting patients and family members provides a unique volunteer opportunity for a wide variety of people. Volunteer hosts make a huge difference in someone's life, without having to leave their homes or attend meetings.

Provide the Personal Touch:
A host homes program presents an opportunity for your city residents to provide a very personal welcome to people who come from out of town.

THE NEED FOR NATIONAL TRAINING

In January 1997, Peter Jennings featured Hospitality Homes on the "Solutions" segment of ABC World News Tonight. Following that program, we received numerous inquiries from people around the nation interested in starting their own host homes program. Our National Training Program was developed in response to the needs of communities looking to replicate the host homes concept. To date, trainees have come to Boston from California, Utah and Texas, and we have trained local groups in both Philadelphia and Seattle.

WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOU

If you wish to discuss training fees and scheduling possibilities, please contact Heather Davidson at 617.482.4338 or by email.

We would like to help your city join the growing number of communities that offer this important service to patients’ families.

HOW WE CAME TO BE

Hospitality Homes was founded in 1983 as The Hospitality Program by four people touched by the plight of patients’ families whose only accommodations were nurses’ closets, waiting room floors, or their own automobiles. Out of the resolve of these four individuals, The Hospitality Program was created to help families find comfort and strength through the hospitality of Boston area residents.

Hospitality Homes brings the families of out-of-town patients (and in some cases, the patients themselves) together with volunteer hosts who live near or are convenient to area hospitals. Hosts know that they are helping a patient's healing process by providing their loved ones with a comfortable place to stay in their homes.

In the past 18 years, our volunteer hosts have provided over 85,000 nights of housing from nearly 8,700 requests. In 2000 alone, our 150 host families provided more than 8,200 nights of accommodation.

The National Training Program of Hospitality Homes uses the expertise gathered over almost two decades to help people establish host homes programs in other communities.