Small Budget, Big Heart, Even Bigger Mission:
Providing a Home Away From Home for the Families of Patients at Atlanta Area Hospitals
By Meg Watterson
Special Feature to Neighbor Newspapers
 

When a family member becomes ill, the burden is shared among everyone. When that illness requires an extended stay in the hospital, family members may be faced with the difficult question, “How can we afford to remain by their side throughout treatment?” Tucked away in a scenic, picturesque setting in the Historic Druid Hills area is the answer for more than 150,000 families who have asked themselves this question. Since 1981, The Atlanta Hospital Hospitality House (AHHH) has been opening its doors, providing lodging, meals and a supportive environment to patients and their families who receive care at any of the 17 Atlanta area hospitals.

“The families we serve are financially fragile, hungry and exhausted,” said Mary Cohen, AHHH Development Chair and Board Member. “Our services directly improve how a family navigates their medical crisis. The AHHH promise to be good stewards of our support by providing a safe, quiet and caring environment that focuses on the individual needs of each guest.”
 
Thanks to generous donations from the community, the AHHH has been providing a home away from home for families of patients for nearly 30 years. Later this spring, its services will be expanded to accommodate eight more guests every night in the newly built Home Depot Marcus Hospitality Cottage, a 1,400-square-foot handicapped accessible facility. This addition increases the occupancy of AHHH from 17 to 25 guests per day.
 
The new Cottage, surrounded by towering trees, sits adjacent to the AHHH main House.  The Cottage was built in the footprint of a dollhouse by Cator Woolford, founder of Equifax, and his wife Charlotte, the original owners of the estate. Since the groundbreaking in December, the Cottage has been visited by Angela Sparks and her sister Cator Hartley, both granddaughter's of Cator and Charlotte.

“The history of the Woolford home is always a consideration in our renovations, additions and decisions regarding the AHHH,” said Paul Shanor, chair of the Atlanta Hospital Hospitality House. “The family has been very excited and supportive of the progress made by the AHHH. They have even gone so far as to help renovate and furnish their grandmother's bedroom in the main house. We appreciate all of their support, and could not serve our guests without generosity like theirs.”

The House spends approximately $44 per guest per day, however guests are only asked to contribute a donation of ten dollars. “The AHHH receives only 6% of its funding from Atlanta area hospitals,” said AHHH executive director Melissa Connor. “We are a non-profit organization supported by donations from, churches, volunteers, foundations, hospitals, civic and veteran’s organizations, businesses, and people who have been personally touched by the house, such as our former guests. Without these caring individuals, many of our guests would be sleeping in waiting rooms and using hospital bathrooms to stay clean.”

The Atlanta Hospital Hospitality House accommodates anyone, as long as they have been referred by the hospital chaplain's or social worker's office, and live 40 miles outside of Atlanta.  If an overnight stay is not required, the house still opens its doors to families who need a place to rest, bathe or do laundry.  

“Options are often limited when emergency medical situations arise,” said Shanor. “Hotels can be extremely expensive, and many families cannot take on the additional financial burden of an extended stay.

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Our guests have family members being treated in Atlanta out of necessity, and as a result of Atlanta’s world-class medical care. They have exhausted the resources of their hometown hospitals. For many, the AHHH can mean the difference between being by a loved one’s side, and being miles away.”

“The mission of the Atlanta Hospital Hospitality House is very important to people who are dealing with a family member’s long-term medical crisis,” said Kelly Caffarelli, president of The Home Depot Foundation. “By building the new Cottage, the Home Depot Foundation was given the opportunity to help the AHHH provide shelter for families during their time of need, but the continued support of the organization by community members across Georgia is crucial.”
 
For more information on volunteer opportunities, special events or charitable donations, please visit our website at or call 404-377-6333.

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