Project Outline

Purpose | Community’s needs and opportunities

We’ve all heard of the wonderful Ronald McDonald Houses, Hope Lodges and other hospitality houses across the nation. We’ve all, sadly seemed to have known someone who needed to stay in one. We’ve all dreaded the thought of ever having to stay in one. However, we also know what amazing things they do every day for patients and families in need. Grand Forks has had a great history of providing world class care health care to Grand Forks and being a hub of healthcare to the surrounding rural region. However, currently health care patients and their families, who are already suffering through illness and hardships and must travel to fulfill their healthcare needs, do not have an affordable and/or need accommodating place to stay that is in close proximately to health care facilities in Grand Forks. Greater Grand Forks community members and families who have experienced the loss or illness of a loved one, have indicated a need for such a facility, as well as people in the medical community. A hospitality home in our community needs to be for all ages, all medical conditions, and for patients of all providers. Building a house for this purpose is not a new idea for our community, however we are committed to provide leadership and bring this very significant and important project to completion. We have been advised that by having the facility open to all ages it will fill a gap that has long been needed. Grand Forks currently does not have a children’s hospital and due to regional regulations, likely never will. Therefore, Grand Forks isn’t a proper fit for a Ronald McDonald House. The American Cancer Society has Hope Lodges, however Grand Forks doesn’t host one of these is because our Cancer Center’s patient volume would only meet this need and would not address the many other needs of this type of facility.

This project will become a home away from home available to all ages and illnesses, to be used by families in the Greater Grand Forks and surrounding areas while family members who must travel to fulfill their healthcare needs. A hospitality house provides individuals with a place to sleep, eat, keep their belongings, relax and find comfort while working hard to overcome illness.

Geographic Area Served: Greater Grand Forks | East Grand Forks, surrounding Red River Valley communities and beyond.

The Sunshine Hospitality Home Project being located in Grand Forks, ND will have a significant effect on the inherent value of the community. The project encompasses the planning, fundraising and building of a hospitality house in Grand Forks. It will strengthen the vitality of the Grand Forks Community and beyond, and make the place where individuals and families live and work even better. It will be a facility that transcends county and city lines and be a Red River Valley asset.

Hardship and circumstance certainly follow medical needs; however healing and care bring us all hope. It’s these factors that have us seek health care or receive it without notice at all and sometimes far from our homes and support systems.

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Population Served:

The Sunshine Hospitality Home will be a place for patients and their families, affected by critical illnesses, diseases, and injuries, who must travel to fulfill their healthcare needs. This home will serve any person (pending referral), be open to all ages, all medical situations, all health care providers, and will welcome families traveling to Grand Forks to fulfill their health care needs from Greater Grand Forks and surrounding region. The Sunshine Hospitality Home is envisioned to be able to host between 25-40 people at one time. The proposed facility will offer 8-14 guest rooms. The guest rooms will vary in size and amenities to cater to different sized families and their unique needs. This number was determined based on current needs and anticipated growth in the health care industry in the area. Stays can be as short as an afternoon or one night, as long as several months, depending on the family’s situation.

Clients Served: Ultimately, the Greater Grand Forks/East Grand Forks Community and Red River Valley communities within a 150 mile radius will be the largest beneficiaries of the Sunshine Hospitality Home. Reaching that North Dakota and Minnesota audience and gaining connectors to help be a part of the solution, will bring them to Grand Forks in the short term and hopefully keep them connected into the future. Our efforts to increase awareness about the community minded and community driven Sunshine Hospitality Home Project will benefit by connecting with communities throughout the Red River Valley. Below are stories, of many, we have encountered along the way that really help to exemplify this need.

Examples:

The Andersons

Meet the Anderson’s, the family of Jim Anderson. Jim is a 31 year old husband and father from Roseau, MN who was in a head on collision and was airlifted to Grand Forks to receive intensive care. Sarah, Jim’s wife, upon receiving the news, immediately pulled the kids out of school, put them in the car and hit the road. They got to Grand Forks to later hear that Jim will be placed in ICU until further diagnosis and treatments can be made over the next few days. Sarah, currently unemployed, knows she can’t afford to eat out or get a hotel room. So after eating dinner from the hospital vending machine, knowing that sometimes hospitals will host families in empty patient rooms, she humbly asks a nurse if there is someplace they can stay. The nurse remorsefully tells her they are at capacity and that the best place to check is the waiting room. This is where they stayed for the next 3 nights.

Baby Elsie & Family

Elsie was born six weeks early in Devil’s Lake, ND and immediately airlifted to Grand Forks and placed in the NICU unit of the nursery. The nurses needed to make sure Elsie was getting the proper nutrition to help her mature and develop properly, requiring Laura, her mother to be near her baby and provide breast milk every few hours. However, now reaching capacity the nurses inform Laura that she can no longer occupy her room they provided to her and her husband previously. Laura and her husband, Jon, decide that despite their biggest fear to leave their baby girl, they have no choice but to go to a hotel. This works for the first couple nights however, the doctor comes in on day four and informs the couple, that the earliest that Elsie will be able to go home is in six weeks, meaning Jon, her dad must go back to work in Devil’s Lake and Laura must stay with

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Elsie for six weeks. Now what, six weeks at an average hotel rate of around $90.00 per night, that racks up to almost $4,000 in hotel expenses, in addition to their extensive medical bills, not to mention the fact that Laura is not able to work, now eating out for every meal and required to drive across town each time she wants to see her new baby girl.

These clearly are not the best options for these families, but they have no choice…

Testimonials:

Cassie Gerhardt & Brad Parrish – Grand Forks, ND

Jack was just seven years old when he was sent by air ambulance to Mayo and diagnosed with leukemia. Cassie was then faced with a situation she wasn’t prepared for like so many other people. The social worker added her name to the Hospitality Home waiting list and after a couple of days she was able to move in for her six week stay. The house helped eased some stresses/concerns and allowed her to focus on Jack and his treatment. “I honestly don’t know what I would have done without the Ronald McDonald House”, commented Cassie.

Terry Paukert – Grand Forks, ND

Hope Lodge in Rochester, MN was Terry’s home for seven weeks when having surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. During that time different people stayed with him throughout his treatments which played a positive part of his recovery. “Since Grand Forks treats so many patients who need extended stays, I feel building a facility such as a Hope Lodge (hospitality home) would be very invaluable. With all the stresses and hardships that came with medical needs, having a comforting place to stay eased the burden for everyone involved. I strongly urge support for this project, which will make recovery more comforting and less stressful.”

Joanne Barstad – Grand Forks, ND

The Barstad’s have had several experiences at the Ronald McDonald House in Rochester due to both children having rare heart defects. Without a hospitality home we would have had to get a loan to help pay for accommodations and food which adds up after time. Many nights community groups provided meals, activities and gifts to the families. “The care and compassion from people that didn’t even know us was comforting. I thank God for homes like these and hope one day, all cities will have a hospitality home.”

JoLynn Dickson & Family – Gilby, ND

We’ve stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in Rochester because of affordability and location when tending to our daughter’s medical needs. “A unique part of our stay was that several other kids who were participating in the “pain clinic” also stayed there which helped with everyone’s overall experience. It provided us the opportunity to be around other families sharing a similar experience. A home such as this is a blessing for people who live at a distance from medical services.”

Proposed work

The Sunshine Memorial Foundation has resolved to spearhead a fundraising campaign and implementation of the proposed Sunshine Home Project because a very need driven opportunity has been brought to our attention by the community.

Sunshine Memorial Foundation’s goal is to plan, fundraise, and build a hospitality house on the north campus of Altru Health System, Grand Forks, ND. Sunshine Memorial Foundation would then like to donate the hospitality house back to the community as a gift to Altru Health Foundation. Throughout this project, Sunshine Memorial Foundation is looking to: complete a capital fundraising campaign, complete the planning and building of the hospitality house, and setup an endowment fund for the continued support of the house’s day-to-day and ongoing operations.

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Project promotion:

The vision of the Sunshine Memorial Foundation is to make this important project happen and soon. A hospitality home project has been discussed for 5-15 years within the community and the need is yesterday. Our fundraising strategy is to raise awareness by partnering with community members and organizations to disseminate information about the proposed Sunshine Hospitality Home project. Along the way and through those efforts our goal is to find individual connections that want to help make an impact financially with major and minor gifts.

Increasing regional awareness of the Hospitality Home and attracting donors from the entire area that will be served by the facility will make the difference. This is a facility that many may feel that they never need, but will be there for them when they do need it.

List of Envisioned Spaces

To attain more information on patient and family needs, Sunshine Memorial Foundation put together a list of spaces envisioned to be found in the Sunshine Hospitality Home and conducted interviews; with Altru’s former and current patients, families, doctors, nurses and department heads. These spaces may change due to constraints or requests related to fundraising and budgeting, donor requests, medical needs, and unforeseen circumstances, but with input from others a program for the home has taken shape.

Basic needs

Entering in through the patio or porch, families will have this space be able to relax, dine and visit while children can play outdoors. They will enter into a well-lit reception area which provides a warm and secure welcome for new families. It will include an area for new families to check in as well as a community information wall that will provide resources to assist families through their stay Communal, self-serve kitchens will be available so that families have the room to cook their meals together. This will provide them the luxury of a home cooked meal, within their dietary restrictions while providing them with some normality. A pantry space and fridge would also be available for each family to store their own personal food and a communal pantry and fridge would give families access to donated food. These spaces provide space for needed family time and an opportunity to save money by not dining out. Families would also have access to private family lounges where loved ones and perhaps extended family can gather together for support in a comfortable, home like atmosphere. Lastly, each family would also be provided a guest room to keep their personal belongs, seek privacy, and sleep. Rooms would be of varying sizes to cater for different sized families and different needs. We would also have guest suites and apartments to accommodate extended stay guests. We all take for granted the support we have and it’s the staff, volunteers and residents that make up for that at hospitality homes where they act as a “Home away from Home” and is convenient, comfortable and compassionate mechanisms for healing.

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List of Potential Users

Sunshine Memorial Foundation has identified several different types of potential users and their needs related to the Sunshine Hospitality Home, based on various forms of research, including interviews. Users of the home will generally have one or more of the following traits/needs: from out of town, have an extended length of stay, cannot afford and/or find alternative lodging, need to stay within close proximity to treatment, have children to care for, need a place to gather with large families, need a place to shower, need a place to rest, need a place to keep their things, need a place for support/worship. Below are a few, of many, short descriptions of the different types of people that would be ideal users of the Sunshine Hospitality Home. Please note that although we have tried to be thorough in our examples, there are endless scenarios and potential types of patients and families that could utilize this home. In this list, we have simply tried to list the most common examples, however would never limit the list of potential users to just this list. ICU Patient’s Families The ICU treats patients with life-threatening injuries and illnesses that need critical care.

NICU Patient’s Families These patients need family, especially the new mother, nearby to provide breast milk and opportunity for bonding.

Cancer Patient Receiving Treatment and Their Families Cancer patients often need to remain close to a health system for monitoring and close access to medical treatment if necessary. Patients are also in great need of support from family and friends, and generally undergo the treatments with a “team” mentality, having a loved one near at all times.

Long Term Therapy Treatment Patients and Their Families Long-term therapy can range in duration from one week, to one month, to one year, to a lifetime, and can often require a coach or loved one nearby.

Inpatient Patient’s Families Inpatient patient family members need an affordable place to stay in, but prefer to be nearby in case they need to get to the health care facility on short notice.

Surgery Patients and Their Families Having a loved one who can provide care after the procedure, no eating 12 hours prior to surgery and arriving at 5:00 am are all perfect examples of basic needs.

Handicap Patients & Families Who Have a Difficult Time in Hotels Although hotels/motels/lodging today are required to fulfill American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, this doesn’t always mean it is easy for those with handicaps to easily stay in these facilities.

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Average costs for a 3 night stay = $834

Without Home

Lodging $249

Food $552

Gas $33

Average costs for a 3 night stay = $273

With Home

Lodging $75

Food $165

Gas $33

Over $6 million could go back into these rural communities EVERY YEAR if the Sunshine Hospitality Home existed. % of 2011-12 Altru In & Out Patient Discharge Statistics by County $ Dollars that could go back to the regional community if the Sunshine Hospitality Home was built.

Costs of a 3 night stay in Grand Forks.

Total savings:

$561

Per family,

per visit

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Organization Mission and Goals…Who we are Mission: To support the development and implementation of programs and projects locally and throughout the United States that focus on providing education and resources in areas of health, wellness, hydration, and hiker awareness.

Current Projects and Programs … Where we’re going

Main Project: Sunshine Hospitality Home

While developing the vision of the foundation, the Larson’s shared their annual events in 2011 and 2012, with several partners. Through these shared partnerships in which we ‘shared in the work and shared in the proceeds’, a major fill-the-gap project need was identified, a Hospitality Home. Through discussions starting in February of 2011, the Larson’s decided to focus their future efforts. They would develop the vision of the opportunity to help, bring awareness to the need, and try to make a large impact in Shannon’s honor and memory. So, as a result, in 2012 the Sunshine Memorial Foundation board voted in favor of sponsoring the foundation's first main project, the Sunshine Hospitality Home Project. Partnership Strengths, Accomplishments, Contributions, Statistics and ‘Reach’ of the Sunshine Memorial Foundation:

We are so grateful to the many supporting partners who have and continue to champion our project. Here is an abbreviated list of these wonderful activities and groups!

40 plus Grand Forks United Parcel Service (UPS) employees donated through payroll deduction.

Altru Alliance

UND Nonprofit Leadership group ‘’Spring Formal” show

Life Care Medical Center & Altru Clinic, both of Roseau, MN host a satellite “More Sunshine Fun Run & Walk”

E. Allen Johnson bequests that memorials at his funeral go toward the Sunshine Hospitality Home Project. Memorial requests continue to come in for so many beloved individuals.

“Put Minto on the Map” Chili feed event

“Cavalier Ride-In” Pre-Sturgis motorcycle event.

Southgate Bar & Grill annual motorcycle ‘Pre-Sturgis’ party and motorcycle benefit ride

Rydell Chevrolet of Grand Forks annual car show

The Red River Valley Motorcyclists Organization The Sertoma Club of Greater Grand Forks

The North Star Quilters Guild

The Stadstad Hockey Game (between Grand Forks Central and Red River)

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