Hospitality Homes is a nonprofit arranger of short-term housing for out-of-town families and caregivers of patients at Boston medical facilities. For years, several Hospitality Homes hosts in Newton have welcomed and housed patients and their families, as Newton is particularly well located for access to Boston’s world-class medical facilities.
Since 1983, the Boston-based organization has worked to house families and patients from all over New England, the country, and the world who come to Boston for medical treatment. The organization works to partner patients with a wide network of host homes as well as donated apartments.
After first learning about the organization in 2016, Executive Director Deborah Pepper said she knew she wanted to get involved. Since she had a spare bedroom in her home, she and her husband decided to join Hospitality Homes as volunteer hosts, and they loved the experience.
“It was perfect for us,” she said. “The first time you do it, you don’t know what to expect – [like] with anything new – but we are still really good friends with the first family that came and stayed with us.”
Three years later, Pepper found the Executive Director position open and decided to apply. Since then, the organization has continued to grow, providing close to 12,000 nights of patient housing in 2023.
Pepper said that the organization works meticulously to match hosts and guests and considers a wide variety of factors, including the layout of the host home and any other factors such as stairs or pets the host family might have.
“The team that is here is brilliant…they get to know every family that is coming for treatment and the program team knows every host family,” she said. “It’s like a giant jigsaw puzzle that we have, matching dates, needs, requirements, location, and availability.”
Pepper said that the relationship the organization fosters between hosts and guests is unique and valuable.
“It’s a home away from home,” she said. “Instead of going home to a sterile, empty place, you have someone who says ‘how was your day?,’ ‘how did it go?’ …I think that connection and compassion is really vital.”
For Hospitality Homes guests like Kelly,* that relationship can make a world of difference.
“I don’t know how I could have gotten through this year without them – without Hospitality Homes. It truly feels like I have a second family in Boston now,” she said.
Guests Jennifer, David, and Roman* said that the connection the organization fosters between hosts and guests was incredibly meaningful to them.
“The fact that there are people who find it in their hearts to open up their space to strangers going through some of the hardest things in their lives is just a testament to a special kindness that is rare to find,” they said. “When complete strangers are willing to welcome you into their home and support you in one of the most difficult seasons of your life, it does more than just remove financial burden from families, it provides comfort, care, and makes you feel just a little less alone in an often lonely and scary process.”
Pepper said that the experience of hosting is a fulfilling one.
“It’s very rewarding,” she said. “A lot of people say, ‘oh you’re so nice to do that,’ but any host that you talk to will say you get so much more back than you give.”
Newton residents Sara and Kumar Nochur have been hosting with Hospitality Homes since 2003, and Sara is former board chair of the organization. Sara said, “We have hosted scores of families over the years and have met many wonderful people who showed remarkable fortitude, courage and grace when facing very difficult and sometimes incurable health issues. Boston is often their last resort, having tried many options in their hometowns before coming here. It is a constant reminder to us of what one must not take for granted, whether it is overall good health, or access to good healthcare.”
For those looking to get involved, Hospitality Homes accepts hosting applications and donations online.
*Last names have been omitted to protect privacy.
Theo Younkin is a Fig City News student reporter, a junior at Newton South High School, and Co-Managing Editor of the NSHS Lion’s Roar.