2013-030 EDC-Arts - SECU Family House at UNC Hospital $1,500

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SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals Grant Application Nov. 27, 2012 Orange County Arts Commission Application Narrative Page 1 Organizational Profile SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals provides an affordable, safe, nurturing home away from home for seriously ill patients, their family members, and caregivers from throughout North Carolina and beyond. Before we opened in March 2008, families of seriously ill patients who could not afford regular hotel rates slept in waiting rooms, on hospital couches, or on hallway or waiting room floors. Many sought shelter in their cars. SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals SECU provides not only shelter, but sanctuary, for as many families as we can FAMILY HOUSE accommodate. at UNC Hospitals Our spacious and beautiful hospitality house has 40 bedrooms and is located minutes from UNC Hospitals. We provide comfortable, private rooms and warm, engaging community areas for patients receiving treatment for cancer, transplants, trauma, burns, eating disorders, or other serious illness. Eight of our rooms are suites reserved for immune-suppressed patients— primarily bone marrow transplant patients—and their families. Our current operating cost is $65 per night, per room, and we request a modest fee from guests: $35 per night for a standard room or$50 per night for a suite. While many of our guests have insurance plans, including Medicaid, that sometimes cover the cost of lodging during extended hospital treatment, many are uninsured or have plans that do not cover the cost of lodging. In such cases, our family assistance fund, "Fund-a-Family," makes up much of the difference so that guests pay as little as $5 per night. Patients staying at the House enjoy all the comforts of home and do so with a family member or caregiver by their side. For families staying here while their loved ones are hospitalized, SECU Family House offers a respite from the hospital and the added compassion they gain from an attentive staff, volunteers, and—most importantly—other guests experiencing similar circumstances. In addition, SECU Family House offers: • Close proximity and free Chapel Hill bus service to the hospital • Volunteer-prepared dinners most weeknights • Extensive video and book libraries • Easy access to walking trails and the North Carolina Botanical Gardens • A children's playroom with toys, games and books • A quiet room for meditation or private conversations • A great room with a fireplace and a solarium for community or family gatherings • Occasional personal services: massage, facials, manicures, pet therapy and more • And more than 100 active volunteers who help keep the House running, neat and organized, and who patiently minister to the needs of our guests. In addition to evening meals, we aim to provide guests with evening entertainment a few nights a week (one to three nights) as part of our Music &Arts Program. Our amenities, a wonderfully caring and committed corps of volunteers, and services like meals and entertainment are all part of the sense of sanctuary we offer guests after a long day at the hospital. We have been successful in our mission. We issue guest surveys to every guest upon checkout, and our numbers tell the story of our success. Year to date, 95% of 429 respondents