Hi! I’m Cullen Willard, the Assistant Manager of Hunter Hospitality House. After working here for over a year, I’ve been asked to reflect on that time and my experience with the organization.
 
I didn’t know that working for a non-profit was something I would find so much fulfillment in, but I’m really enjoying it. There’s happiness in the feeling of helping people for a living and not asking anything from them in return. It feels good knowing that the work that we do is improving people’s lives in a meaningful way.
 
Serving people who are coming back and forth from the hospital can be a lot to take in. In registering someone to stay at Hunter Hospitality House, they will often talk at length about what brought them to us. For some people it’s the birth of a new baby, which is joyful and wonderful but also scary and stressful. For other people their cancer treatment is finally coming to an end, which is victorious and powerful, but they are pained and weakened by the treatment. Some people stay with us when their loved one is injured or sick, and after a few days that person makes a full recovery. Some people stay with us when they know that their loved one is going to die and there’s nothing they can do. Sometimes a person’s stay with us ends because they themselves are moving into end-of-life hospice care.
 
Even with the emotional toll that type of conversation can take, it feels good to lend an ear to someone, as a friendly stranger, and to allow someone to vent their feelings to you without fear of judgment. I try to make myself available for that as much as I can, as does everyone who works at Hunter Hospitality House, including our volunteers.
 
Our volunteers are amazing, and it would be impossible for us to do what we do without their hard work. I believe in the goodness of people, and no one exemplifies that kindness and generosity like our volunteers. Between cleaning, working on projects, and even just talking pleasantly with our guests, they give of their time and energy because they believe in helping people and they believe in the mission of Hunter Hospitality House.
 
Working for my parents has been fun! That may sound like a scary idea, and it certainly could be, but my parents care so deeply about this organization and have so much passion for the mission, and that care and direct involvement make things feel less like an employee-employer relationship and more like a group effort. I have all the guidance that I need in navigating new responsibilities, but it doesn’t feel like I’m taking orders.
 
Every day brings something new to do. Some days are filled with phone calls and registrations, and I’ll spend a lot of time interacting with guests. Other days we get no calls at all, and my job could consist of anything from house and lawn maintenance, to writing administrative documents, to editing promotional videos, to screen printing t-shirts for guests, to writing a blog post for the website. There’s a lot of variety in what my job entails, which is exciting.

​Working at Hunter Hospitality House has been an amazing opportunity for me, and I hope to continue working here for a very long time. 

One of my favorite annual community events is right around the corner--the Volunteer Recruitment Fair.  This event will be held at the St. Clair County Community College Welcome Center, on the corner of Glenwood & Erie Street in Port Huron, on September 30, 2022.  Open-house style, the public is welcome to come anytime between 10am and 2pm.  

I've been blessed to be a part of the committee putting the Volunteer Recruitment Fair together since its inception in 2017.  

So, What Is a Volunteer Recruitment Fair, Anyway?

The Volunteer Recruitment Fair brings together over 20 nonprofits in our area, serving a wide range of interests.  So far, the following local agencies have signed up to participate.

Spero Pregnancy Center
Port Huron Museum
Woman's Life Insurance Society
Camp Cavell Conservancy
McLaren Hospice, Port Huron
Harbor Impact Ministries
Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan
Visiting Nurse Association & Blue Water Hospice
Enter Stage Right
McMorran Place
Blue Water Safe Horizons
Lake Huron Foundation Volunteer Organization
Bridge Builders Counseling & Mentoring
Hunter Hospitality House, Inc.
Blankets With Care
Port Huron Civic Theatre
A Beautiful Me
Healing Hearts Home Women’s Ministry
Blue Water Developmental Housing
United Way of St. Clair County
Council on Aging, Inc., Serving St. Clair County

Having so many participants gives people who are interested in volunteering a chance to talk to several organizations in one, efficient venue, rather than having to meet one on one with each charity.  Maybe you've always wanted to know about Bridge Builders Counseling and Mentoring, for example, but you're also curious about Woman's Life and Hunter Hospitality House.  Instead of setting appointments with each organization, you just come to the Volunteer Fair and visit each of their tables.  

Easy Peasy!

See You Soon!

So, whether you're interest in learning more about Hunter Hospitality House one of the other organizations involved, I can't wait to see you on September 30. In the meantime, here's some pictures from our last Volunteer Recruitment Fair to enjoy!

We all have been blessed at Hunter Hospitality House to have Anna Gerardy as a summer intern, and wish her the best as she leaves us to return to Grand Valley State University.  We'll miss you, Anna!  

​

Hello All! I am Anna Gerardy, a sophomore at Grand Valley State University and from Yale. At Grand Valley, I am studying accounting and public and nonprofit administration and involved in SLAM (Students Leaving A Mark), a club that volunteers in the area and on an annual week long service trip. Going into this summer, I felt I needed some more experience in the nonprofit world, rather than the classroom, and was lucky enough to have stumbled upon Tracy and the Hunter Hospitality House. 
At the beginning of May, I had no clue what Hunter Hospitality House was, but a family friend connected me with the executive director to set up a lunch to talk about the nonprofit world. By the end of that lunch I was in awe of the mission and hard work that has gone into creating and upholding HHH, and was ready to jump on board and help in any way I can. As I am in the final day of my internship, I cannot be more thankful to have been with such a special nonprofit. 

​

Throughout my schooling, I have never had the opportunity to fully immerse myself in the nonprofit world, and Tracy went above and beyond in showing me the ropes and introducing me to countless members of the community. To be involved in the nonprofit world takes a special person, and every staff member, board member, and volunteer with HHH has been special and kind beyond measure. It is apparent that Tracy and Jeff have put their heart and soul into HHH. 

​

​Born and raised in Port Huron, I’m completely sold out for this city. No matter how great our visits have been to amazing places across the country and into Canada, my husband and I both agree—there’s no place like home.
Hunter Hospitality House is a vital service to offer patients and caregivers traveling to Port Huron because of a medical situation. I also believe it’s an imperative organization for the residents of our town, too. 
Let me explain.
Hunter Hospitality House is nonprofit organization providing free lodging right across the street from the hospitals in Port Huron for people with a hospitalized loved one or treatment of their own for things like cancer and wound care.  We also accommodate people who need a place to stay the night before a surgery or medical procedure, and those who have loved ones in other medical facilities like Marwood, Regency, and the Blue Water Hospice Home.
Hunter Hospitality House has three locations, including two bed & breakfast style homes specifically for adults, and one Family House, where a family with children giving them the privacy needed.
We’ve been compared to a Ronald McDonald House, but honestly, I think we’re even better because your hospitalized loved one doesn’t have to be a child for you to qualify to stay at Hunter Hospitality House.  Also, there is never a charge to you or your insurance company, and there is not an income or distance requirement.
I mention that there’s not a distance requirement because I really want to emphasize the importance of Hunter Hospitality House for residents of our county and even the city of Port Huron.
We know that when someone you love is critically ill, or near death, you want to be right there with them in the hospital.  But taking care of your own needs, like getting a shower, a quick bite to eat and grabbing a little nap can make a world of difference for how well you’re able to focus on that loved one and all of the information you’re getting from the medical staff at the hospital.  Hunter Hospitality House is right across the street, so you won’t be gone long, you can be on call, and you won’t even have to drive.
Babies who stay in the hospital longer than their mothers need to be fed every three hours.  That was the case for us when our son Hunter was born prematurely. Sadly, he passed away when he was just 16 days old, and Hunter Hospitality House was founded in his memory.  I had that experience of driving to the hospital every few hours when I was emotional and exhausted, which was not safe for myself or anyone else on the road…and I lived right in town. 
Parents who stay right across the street from the hospital can make those feedings without fail, which is important for the health of the baby and in some cases, for the nursing mother’s health, too.
We do have a vehicle, and when guests need it we are happy to transport them to the hospital or medical appointments. And while I’m mentioning driving, I’d like to emphasize again how important it is not to drive when you’re exhausted from caring for a sick loved one or getting outpatient treatment yourself. 
Drowsy driving contributes to nearly 10% of all crashes, according to AAA.
Even if you, yourself never need to stay at Hunter Hospitality House, it’s nice to know these homes are in our city in case You are hospitalized and have family traveling to see you.  No need to have them stay in a hotel when they can stay right across the street at Hunter Hospitality House for free.
Each home is filled with amenities like hygiene products, laundry supplies, extra clothes, and food—anything someone needs.  If we don’t have it, we can get it, no problem.
Another way Hunter Hospitality House helps the residents of Port Huron is that we are primarily volunteer driven.  We have several volunteer opportunities for people of all ages and abilities—everything from working on mailings, to cleaning and organizing the homes, to doing yard work and gardening.
***********************************
Please check out our website, HunterHospitalityHouse.com or our Facebook page to learn more about us.  We want to be sure everyone in Port Huron knows they are welcome to stay at HHH and they can refer others to us when they need our services or a volunteer opportunity.  

Last week, we welcomed our HHH summer intern, Anna Gerardy!

Anna is a double major in political science and public and nonprofit administration at Grand Valley State University. She is involved in Students Leaving a Mark, a club dedicated to volunteering for nonprofits, and on the club basketball team.

We’re thrilled that Emily Vinckier Pierce of State Farm Insurance pointed Anna in our direction, and we’re looking forward to working with her this summer on every aspect of nonprofit management.

Welcome aboard, Anna!

First of all, I just want to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to everyone who participated in Hope Blooms from Home.  Because of your sponsorships, donations, gifts of prizes, raffle ticket purchases and matching grants, this was the most successful HHH fundraiser to date!  Over $50,000 was raised for our general expenses, ensuring HHH remains free for our guests.  AMAZING!
Please be sure to keep up with the HHH website and Facebook page, where we'll be announcing the date and details of our next Hope Blooms event.  Meanwhile, I'd like to share the pictures of some of the happy folks who won some of the prizes!
Congrats!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I honestly don’t know how a non-profit can survive without being in a community filled with supportive, generous Woman’s Life Insurance Society chapters.
Hunter Hospitality House is blessed to be one of the many charities in Port Huron, MI who are continually WOWED by all of the fundraising, volunteering and service projects done by Woman’s Life members and chapters.  From before our very first location open its doors in 2011, ‘til this very day, they’ve been the secret sauce to HHH’s success.
And that’s not even an exaggeration.  Read on and try to tell me I’m wrong.  It’s impossible.

What is Woman’s Life Insurance Society?
According to their website, www.womanslife.org, “Woman’s Life Insurance Society® provides financial products and educational resources to help women and their families build a strong financial future. Woman’s Life creates opportunities and provides financial support for community outreach.  They also encourage good health through information and fraternal benefits.”
But what’s really cool, and what this blog post is all about, is how Woman’s Life stresses connection. 
You see, (again, quoting from their website), “Woman’s Life brings women together through local chapters and other channels, to have fun, build friendships, and engage in community outreach.”
​
And what, exactly, is a Woman’s Life chapter?
Simply put, Woman’s Life chapters are made up of friends who like to socialize with one another and make a difference in their community.  Together, they do small and large fundraisers and volunteer projects of all sizes and are sponsored in their endeavors by Woman’s Life Insurance Society through special matching or service grants.
I’m afraid that sounds a lot more boring than it is, so why don’t I show you some pictures of Woman’s Life chapters in action at, and for, Hunter Hospitality House?

How does one become a member?
Crystal Mosher, the Member Engagement and Benefit Specialist at Woman’s Life Insurance Society, told me, “To join, go to www.womanslife.org and hit the purple box that says JOIN NOW.”  Or you can even call Crystal at 810-488-2679 and she'll hook you up!
​
What are Woman’s Life chapters up to right now for HHH?
We are thrilled that THREE different chapters are providing fundraisers with $500 matching grants for Hunter Hospitality House through Hope Blooms from Home!  www.hunterhospitalityhouse.com/hope-blooms.html

Woman’s Life Chapter 800 will be giving $1000 in cash away to a lucky raffle winner, and tickets are only $2.00.  Two dollars!  You can’t even get a sandwich for that kind of change these days, and they’re offering you a chance to win $1000!! 

​Woman’s Life Chapter 807 is selling raffle tickets for $5 for 20 different prizes.  Want something for your daughter? Check out the Elsa and Anna capes and dolls!  Need a romantic getaway?  The Frankenmuth gift package is definitely for you.  Are you the active type?  How about a two-person kayak?
I could go on and on (I mean, there’s 20 prizes, so really, I could).  You’ll just have to see them all for yourself.  

​Not really into games of chance, but just want to support the mission of free hospital lodging in Port Huron?  Woman’s Life Chapter 808 has you covered.  Just donate through the Hope Blooms site or make your check out to Woman's Life Chapter #808 and send it to us. Woman's Life Insurance Society will match the 1st $500.00 donated in the name of Woman's Life Chapter #808.

I mean, c’mon.  Generosity in spades, right?!  

​Full confession:
I’m coming from a rather biased place in my high opinion of Woman’s Life.  You see, not only have they donated countless volunteer hours and a whopping $$117,220.75 in matching funds to HHH (not to mention donations of food, cleaning supplies, etc.), but they’re also some of my very best friends and family. 
Oh, and I’m a chapter member, too!
Respectfully Yours,
Tracy Willard, Founding Member and Secretary, Woman’s Life Chapter 807

1. Spread the word.  
Many people don’t know about Hunter Hospitality House, and as I always say, the more people who know, the more people we can help!  As an at-home volunteer, you can spread the word by sharing Facebook messages and this website with your friends and family.  Inviting your Facebook friends to like our page is great word-of-mouth advertising.
​www.facebook.com/hunterhospitalityhouse
Also, we’d be happy to mail our brochures to you.  Consider sending them out, with a handwritten note from you recommending our organization, to people you know in the medical field—like doctors, nurses, and office managers.  

2.  Facilitate a Speaking Engagement
Co-Founders Jeff and Tracy Willard are happy to speak to clubs and churches about Hunter Hospitality House.  If you are a member where you know they’d appreciate a short presentation about HHH, or if you’re close to someone who might be interested, we’d be grateful for the opportunity.

3.  Watch for Opportunities
If you’re surfing the internet and notice an online contest to nominate a nonprofit for a grant, please think of Hunter Hospitality House.  Also, if you learn of a grant that we can apply for, please send us the link via email.  We have a very small staff and sometimes miss the many opportunities available online.
While online, you’re probably going to see all kinds of people chatting about subjects where you could pipe in and suggest Hunter Hospitality House as a solution.  Whether you recommend a guest, a volunteer, a college intern, or a scout troop looking for a special project, we’re always grateful for the referral!

However you choose to help, just know that you're making a world of difference in many lives.  Being able to stay within steps of a hospitalized loved one is so important.  Cancer patients who don't have to drive back and forth from home to their treatment center are also grateful for what you're making possible for them at HHH, too.  Not having to worry about how much the lodging will cost? Priceless.
Thank you!

When we founded HHH back in 2011, there were a lot of things I couldn’t have imagined.  For example, I wouldn’t guessed that we’d have three locations ten years later, or that our annual fundraiser would grow from 250 guests to nearly 700 (before Covid-19, of course).  But I think the thing that’s surprised me the most is how incredibly supportive the community has been, and the heroism of monthly donors.
If you’d have asked me 10 years ago what a donor who gives ten dollars a month could do for HHH, I probably would have said something like, “No donation is too small.”  That’s true, no doubt.  But now I understand that monthly donors are SUPERHEROES in the nonprofit world.  The reliability of their donations make it possible for us to budget; the relationship they have to our organization extends way beyond their checkbooks; and our data continues to show they become one of our greatest sources of referrals.

Reliability
Annemarie Kautz and her husband Jim are long time HHH supporters.  I recently asked her what motivates them to give each month.
 “We feel that monthly donations make it easier for HHH to keep doing what they do best without having to have too many fundraisers. Monthly donations are a regular part of the budget that can be counted on,” she said…and she couldn’t be more correct.
Every few weeks, HHH gets the same bills that come to your house…times three.  Knowing we can count on several donors’ monthly contributions to help cover those costs, January through December, makes it easier for us to focus on our mission of providing a complimentary home away from home for those in need of restoration while either comforting a sick loved or receiving treatment.  Ensuring our guests have a premium hospital lodging experience is a much more worthwhile use of staff and volunteer’s time than constant fundraising.

Relationships
When people start monthly donations to HHH, a beautiful thing begins to happen.  They’re far more likely to pay attention to Facebook posts, advertisements, and press releases regarding our organization.  When we need volunteers, they’re likely to spread the word.  What began as simple philanthropy turns into a relationship as deep as friends, and in some cases, family. 
Mary Ecker wrote, “I heard about the Hunter Hospitality House project after the first house had opened. I went to see the movie about HHH that was shown at a local church. I learned so much about the things that HHH does that I wrote a check to support the cause. I noticed other HHH activities. I started giving a minimal amount monthly and I would support other fundraisers for HHH throughout the year. I raised the monthly amount because I thought it was money well spent and the larger monthly donation had more value to the cause than my small ones with one or two large ones sprinkled in. Consistent donations help budgeting. The biggest difference happened when I responded to requests for help with a mailing. When I got there, I realized what a major task mailing can be. Because of some connections, I could change the part of that task that would have taken many hours into a one-hour project. I then helped to stuff envelopes until the project was ready for mailing. I was glad to help with the project because the mailing was important to HHH. Volunteering to do that was an eye-opener for me. I can't always volunteer, but I will when I can.”

Referrals
Did you know that “word of mouth” is second only to hospital referrals when our guests tell us how they found out about HHH?  Interestingly, we often hear the source of that “word of mouth” advertising is a monthly donor.
It’s not very surprising, if you think about it.  Monthly donors have a great understanding of what we provide at HHH, and because they hear from us regularly with receipts and impact reports (a perk just for them—more on that later!), Hunter Hospitality House is top of mind.  When they hear about someone who could benefit by staying at HHH, they’re likely to share the opportunity with them.
Monthly donor Karen Jezewski is quick to tell everyone about HHH.  “Hunter Hospitality House is a vital asset for our community. It functions as a "Port in the Storm" for guests that have found themselves on unexpected, often tragic circumstances. My monthly donation demonstrates my support for this community treasure.”
Reliability, relationships, and referrals—three reasons I consider our monthly donors HHH superheroes.  To express our gratitude, we provide them with regular impact reports, telling how many guests stayed and what sort of circumstances were eased by their donations.  Below, you’ll see a monthly impact report from 2021.
​
If you’d like to become a monthly donor, please let us know.  We can walk you through the process of setting payments up through PayPal, your credit union or bank, or you can simply send a check each month.  Annemarie Kautz said, “We like donating monthly because it is automatic, and we don’t have to think about it.”  The amount is up to you, because honestly…every little bit really does help.

All monthly donors receive an email each month with a report like this, telling them what an incredible impact their gift gave our guests!

Let's watch the old year die
With a fond goodbye
And our hopes as high
As a kite!
Let's Start the New Year Right lyrics © Berlin Irving Music Corp., Irving Berlin Music Corp

Confetti flew at our 10th Anniversary Celebration on December 7th, overwhelming us all with gratitude and gratefulness.  Looking back at the past 10 years of guests, volunteers, donors and community involvement is incredible, but on this New Years Eve, we're reflecting on just the past year...and what a wonderful year it has been!  We lifted these few pics from our Facebook page as examples of the wonderful blessings, but could have included so many more. 
Happy New Year, friends!