Hospitality House
The Hospitality House of Tulsa provides a home away from home for families caring for loved ones in a medical crisis that have to travel to Tulsa from 30 miles away or greater. It is a Christian faith-based nonprofit organization providing lodging, meals, and prayer support for family members of patients that are being cared for in any of Tulsa's 14 hospitals. Toni Moore and Brooke Gage founded Hospitality House in November of 2004. Since August of 2006, Hospitality House has served around 1,600 families and 4,000 individuals. In September 2011, Hospitality House added a second home that also includes 6 additional family suites as well as a day room for use from those on the waiting list for overnight accommodations. Over 25,000 patients are traveling to Tulsa each year for inpatient medical care and there are another 3,000 that come for outpatient care. Half of the families that come to Tulsa for healthcare are medicare/medicaid or uninsured families that do not have financial resources to afford hotels or motels.
The vast majority of Hospitality House operating costs are covered by donations through a fundraiser in December called "Room in the Inn, Room in our Hearts." Moore explains that "Room in the Inn, Room in our Hearts" is based on the Christmas story, "a young family traveling and a medical crisis occurred and a baby was born and there was no room in the inn, and of course we know that to be Joseph and Mary and the baby Jesus who stayed in a manger instead." 10,200 Christmas lights are hung on the house, each light representing the number of nights of lodging for one year and the Christmas lights are synced to music through a radio frequency for an entertaining Christmas light show. Park in the Hillcrest Physicians parking lot and listen to the music and watch the light show at Hospitality House located at 1135 S. Victor Ave. Moore says, "We ask our community to sponsor one night of lodging or one Christmas light on the house for a $10 donation." To donate, give on Hospitality House’s website tulsahospitalityhouse.org or give on smart phones at give.mobi/hht.
Moore encourages people to visit their facebook page for information on upcoming events. Their next event is a Tulsa Dancing with the Stars. 2013 will be their 4th year to have a fundraiser with local media celebrities and ballroom dancers. “A Time to Dance with our Stars” is in April. Each September volunteers pass out survival kits (with a blanket, water, food, toothbrush, etc) in Tulsa hospital waiting rooms. Volunteers are needed to distribute survival kits and to work at the house. Contact Hospitality House at 918-794-0088 to volunteer. Their welcome center is open 9am to 5pm Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm on Saturday, and 1pm to 5pm on Sunday. Volunteers are needed during those hours as well as their meals of love program in the evenings.
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