In Philadelphia’s Queen Village neighborhood, a total stranger uses her home to shelter relatives of patients in local hospitals.
Barrie Dubois moved to the city six years ago and as she sat at her kitchen table, she saw a call to help out-of-town families whose loved ones were being treated at area medical centers.
“I had someone whose 50-year-old son had a massive stroke, and someone else who was here with her best friend who was dying,” Dubois said.
She is part of the temporary lodging community called Hosts For Hospitals. Dubois is one of 100 hosts offering their homes to families for $20 a night.
“Kindness is an incredibly powerful thing,” says Mike Aichenbaum, executive director of Hosts For Hospitals.
More than thirty years ago, Aichenbaum was diagnosed with acute leukemia and spent months in the hospital.
In 2000, he founded Hosts For Hospitals, with the mission of easing the financial burden for families going through difficult times.
“We are the only hospitality organization in the city that accommodates people of all ages and illnesses,” Aichenbaum said.
There is no time limit on how long people can stay.
“We took one of their families and stayed with this family for over two and a half years,” Aichenbaum said.
As a new host of just six months, Dubois says it costs her nothing to help others.
To become a host, visit hostsforhospitals.org or call 484-380-2999.
