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!  

According to www.daysoftheyear.com, "Giving Tuesday was created when two organizations, the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation, came together in 2012, about a month before that year's Thanksgiving.  Their intention was to set aside a day that was all about celebrating the generosity of giving, a great American tradition. 

Since then, Giving Tuesday has been added to the popular shopping series of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday.  It's an amazing alternative to acquisition, and an excellent way to support the community, too.

Through our ten years of providing free hospital lodging, we've kept a pretty low profile on Giving Tuesday.  It falls just after we've sent our annual appeal by mail, and right before the organization's anniversary (December 7 marks 10 years!). Thankfully, in spite of not really participating in the day's hullabaloo, our regular donors never seem to fail us. 

This year, I'm stepping out of my comfort zone and asking you to consider Hunter Hospitality House in your Giving Tuesday donations.  Why?  Simply put, HHH now has three locations, with three sets of utility bills and various other expenses that come with the blessing of having more options when it comes to hospital lodging in Port Huron.  As the director, I'm tasked with raising funds to cover those expenses so our guests will never need to pay a fee during the stressful medical situations they're enduring.  

​A recent guest wrote:

A free stay at HHH is more than a luxury.  It's a weight off their shoulders, when medical bills and ambulance expenses loom large.  And quite frankly, it's the only way many of our guests could afford to stay near the hospital.
So this Giving Tuesday, I'm humbly asking you to help in our mission of providing free lodging and consider a monetary gift to Hunter Hospitality House.  
https://www.hunterhospitalityhouse.com/donate.html

We have four great options to consider when giving to HHH this season:
​
1.  Pay It Forward Christmas Tree Ornaments
​
Former guests who give $50 or more can have your name or message painted on an ornament and hung on a Christmas tree each year at HHH, encouraging current guests during an otherwise difficult circumstance.  You'll also receive a handcrafted HHH ornament for your own tree.  

No one we know loves Christmas decorating more than HHH volunteer Tricia Course-Cislo, so she was a natural choice to help us with our Pay-It-Forward Christmas tree project! Former guests can sponsor the cost of a day at HHH for a future guest, and Tricia, who is extremely gifted and artistic, paints their message of choice on an ornament to hang on a tree in one of our homes at Christmas. The donor receives an HHH ornament made by the incredible local artist Deborah Bassett-Maxwell at Red Mudd Studio. Such a beautiful way to take the experience of staying at HHH and pay-it-forward!
When donating online, be sure to mark this preference in the notes section. 
https://www.hunterhospitalityhouse.com/donate.html 

2.  Family House Sponsorship

For a gift of $250 or more, you can have your name (or business name) inscribed on a "brick" inside this beautiful sponsor plaque which hangs at the Hunter Hospitality Family House. It was created by Golden Choice. 
https://www.goldenchoiceadv.com/
Be sure to write Family House Sponsorship in the notes section when giving online.
https://www.hunterhospitalityhouse.com/donate.html

3.  HHH Informational Video Sponsorship

Donors of $300 or more may choose to have their name (or business name) listed at the end of our new Hunter Hospitality House promotional video, which is shared on our website, in churches/civic groups, and even in hospital employee training groups.  It will be filmed this spring by Eighth Day Media, Inc.  
https://www.eighthdaymedia.com/
You can view our current video at the link below.  You'll notice it was made before we had our third location, the Hunter Hospitality Family House, which is why we need a new one.  It's sure to have the same excellent quality and would be a great sponsorship opportunity for anyone.
https://vimeo.com/125474228?embedded=true&source=video_title&owner=3430389

4.  Christmas Card Honorariums

For a gift of any size in honor of a loved one, we'll send them a beautiful Christmas card telling them of your thoughtful donation.
Be sure to write "Christmas Card" in the notes section, and include the name and address of your honoree.
https://www.hunterhospitalityhouse.com/donate.html

But WAIT, there's MORE!

Hope FM, Power 883 and Meijer have teamed up for this Giving Tuesday.  For every $100 the radio stations receive, an "Amenity Care Pack" will also be provided for guests at Hunter Hospitality House!

https://907hopefm.com/

However you decide to donate on this Giving Tuesday, I want to personally thank you from the bottom of my heart, and wish you a very peaceful holiday season.
​~Tracy

If you've got a couple of hours you could volunteer every week or so, we could really use your help.  
Did you know that a 150 pound person can burn nearly 200 calories per hour just by doing light to moderate housecleaning?  Studies have also found that those who volunteer have a lower mortality rate than those who do not, and that older volunteers tend to walk more, find it easier to cope with everyday tasks, are less likely to develop high blood pressure, and have better thinking skills. Psychologically, people have found that volunteering may reduce the onset of cognitive decline and is related to lower rates of depression and loneliness.
Those are just some of the benefits of volunteering.  When you sign up to help us with housecleaning at Hunter Hospitality House, you also get:
1.  Free t-shirts.
2.  Frequent interactions with our guests, giving you the opportunity to see the impact your hard work is making in the lives of those who stay at HHH.
3.  An excellent reference for job and/or college applications.
4.  The opportunity to involve your family in your volunteering efforts.
5.  The satisfaction that you're making it possible for HHH to provide free hospital lodging in three locations in Port Huron.
6.  So much more!
Our immediate need is for someone to clean every other Monday morning.  We are also in need of cleaning substitutes, who we could contact for other mornings when our regular volunteers are unable to work.  Housecleaning volunteers must be at least 18 years of age.
Interested?  It's easy to sign up!  Just go to:
https://www.hunterhospitalityhouse.com/volunteering.html
We look forward to working with you!

Pictured:  HHH Volunteers Angie Twichell, Renee Sheldon and Christine Dompierre are part of a large group of people who make a difference regularly in the lives of our guests by keeping the houses clean and sanitary!  

​Haydn is just seven years old, but we’ve honestly lost count of how many times she’s volunteered for Hunter Hospitality House or represented us in the community.  We call her an HHH Baby, because her parents stayed at our McLaren Port Huron location when she was born 7 weeks early.  

​Martha Koerber is in her 90s.  When she learned about our plans to open HHH in 2011, she asked for a meeting with me.  “What can I do regularly to help?” she asked and suggested making cookies.  “That’s perfect!” I exclaimed, with no idea at all that she’d still be making those cookies for us all these years, every week.  

​Recently, Haydn had a school project called a Bag Biography.  She had to take 5 items that described things about her.  One of them was a thank you card she’d received from me after representing HHH at the Fourth of July parade in Lexington.  Her mother said, “Just wanted to share that your house made an impact on her even before she could talk.”

Haydn and Martha are living proof that when you find a cause you’re passionate about, you will find a way to do what you can, when you can, to support it, no matter what your age.  We’re blessed beyond measure that they’re both so enthusiastic about HHH, and we hope their devotion and volunteerism is an inspiration.  

Interested in becoming a volunteer?  Let us know through a simple form on our website.  How easy is that?
https://www.hunterhospitalityhouse.com/volunteering.html

I can talk about HHH and what we do until I'm blue in the face, but there's really nothing like hearing from our guests themselves.  All our houses have books where guests can leave a note about their stay, which are not only a joy for us to read but are also very helpful for subsequent guests.  Knowing someone has gone through a similar medical experience is of great comfort.  We also get thank you cards, texts...all kinds of affirming words to know that HHH is an essential service in our community. Find more great guest testimonies on our Facebook page! facebook.com/hunterhospitalityhouse

​

This guest came to us from Ohio!

Because HHH was founded in memory of our premature baby, Hunter, young parents are very special guests to us!

Page 1

Such a sweet post script!

I didn't just love this text sent to my husband from a guest because she said I was beautiful...but it didn't hurt! ;)

​Some people just really deserve to lay around on a hammock.  Dennis and Debbie Pluff won this wonderful prize in our Hope Blooms from Home fundraiser, and it couldn’t have happened to two better people--especially when you consider that Dennis is lucky to be alive.  

​Debbie and her son, Scott, stayed at Hunter Hospitality House while Dennis was in the hospital after spending 17 hours on Lake Huron in 2019.  Read more about that incredible story here:  

Enjoy that hammock, Dennis and Debbie!  You deserve to rest!
​And thank you for supporting HHH through Hope Blooms from Home!

​The new Hunter Hospitality Family House is open ahead of schedule, and ready to provide free hospital lodging for parents with children.
The Family House is a part of the Hunter Hospitality House non-profit organization, founded in 2011.  Co-Founders Jeff and Tracy Willard established the charity in memory of their infant son, Hunter, who passed away at 16 days of age in 1991.  The charity provides free lodging for patients and loved ones needing to stay near a hospital in Port Huron. 
Hunter Hospitality House has two bed and breakfast style homes next to each hospital in Port Huron.  The new Family House is a single unit home designed to give parents with children a much more private refuge.  Guests will find a fully stocked kitchen and laundry room; sleeping accommodations for up to 6 people, plus a crib; and complimentary hygiene products. 
“We couldn’t have opened the Family House without the community’s generosity,” said Tracy Willard.  “A lot of companies donated time and services.  They believe in our mission, and we’re so grateful for their help with this expansion.”
Representatives from the companies who donated time and services for renovating the Hunter Hospitality Family House gathered for a photo at the home early in June.  They included Superior Heating and Cooling, Blue Water Door, Huron Inspections/Mold Removal, Watson Brothers Plumbing, Ron Lowe Construction, Home Depot, Shane Hernandez, LiUNA! Local 1075, Rock-N-Wood, Stephenson Electric, Zimmer Roofing, Independent Flooring, Kimball Appliance, Golden Choice, and Donna’s Storage. 
A ribbon cutting for Hunter Hospitality Family will be held later this year, on December 7, which is the organization's 10th anniversary and what would have been Hunter’s 30th birthday.  For more information about Hunter Hospitality House, and for volunteering and donation inquiries, please call 810-824-3679 or visit hunterhospitalityhouse.com.

​Springtime is amazing for Hunter Hospitality House, and summer’s wonderful, too—all because of the gardens and well-kept lawns.

​Who Does All of That Work?!
A quick list of volunteers who regularly help with off the top of my head would include names like Jean, Matt, Dominic, Hannah, Adam, Scott, Lynn, Steve, Paul, Rick and Rebecca.  It would also include groups like St. Mary’s Youth Group, Eastern Michigan Thumb Association and Blue Water Choices. 
Truth is, there are many, many more.  We’re blessed to have many people reach out to us and ask how they can help make our Hunter Hospitality Houses beautiful.

​What Exactly Are Volunteers Doing Outside?
Just like your house, our places need planting, weeding, trimming, mowing, edging, watering and mulching.  Our volunteers’ contributions of time, talent and supplies mean HHH doesn’t have to pay companies to do the work.  That allows us to use donor funds right where they’re needed—providing free lodging and abundant amenities.

​And Where?
Three locations--beautiful homes.  Three yards.  Numerous garden areas.  It’s a lot of ground to cover.  Takes a village!

And When?
So, when does this magic take place?  Well, that’s the cool thing about outdoor volunteering.  You do what you want when you want to.  Seriously.
 If you’re interested in starting, adding to, or just maintaining a garden, let us know.  We’ll meet with you for a few minutes at your convenience, showing you the yard of whichever location, you’d like.  Just give us a call at 810-824-3679 and leave a message.  After your first meeting with us, you’re free to work whenever it’s best for you.

​Why?
Guests often tell us that they feel more peaceful and calmer about their circumstances after they’ve sat outside, enjoying an HHH garden.  And there’s science behind that.
According to an article on mentalfloss.com called 11 Scientific Reasons Why Being in Nature is Relaxing, “A study by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health found that a natural environment allowed people to leave the stressors of their everyday lives behind and instead focus their minds on something more pure.  By centering your mind, you can relax your body.”
*Note I have not verified the existence of that study…seems right to me, though!  😊

Ditch the Perfectionism
Are the yards and gardens perfect at the Hunter Hospitality Houses?  Not always.
For example, we choose not to use donor dollars in watering the grass frequently, so it gets kind of yellow in the heat of the summer. 
Sometimes the weeds get a bit out of control, too.  But just about the time we start worrying about them, another volunteer seems to call and ask to help.

​I’m Reading Your Mind
You’ve made it this far into my blog about our amazing green thumb volunteers, and you’re starting to think you’d like to join the team, too.  Maybe.
But I think I know what you’re thinking.  What’s in it for me?
Check out that full article I referenced above.  There are numerous benefits to your health and body to working outside.  https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/60632/11-scientific-reasons-why-being-nature-relaxing
Not to mention the mental benefits of volunteering, which are also well documented.  You’ll basically be a superhero…healthy, happy, and worthy of big-time bragging rights.
We’re looking forward to hearing from you!
 

A huge thank you goes out to all of the volunteers who helped with fall clean up and house renovations! We sincerely appreciate the hard work our community pours into the homes and yards, making it possible for us to always provide medical lodging and amenities for FREE at Hunter Hospitality House!

In a year dominated by catastrophes and controversies, it’s nice to share some good news.
Hunter Hospitality House, Inc., a local organization providing free lodging and amenities in two locations near both hospitals in Port Huron, is growing.  We’ve acquired a ranch style home next door to their Lake Huron Medical Center location, at 1015 Vanderburgh Place, to be called Hunter Hospitality Family House.
“We’ve long talked about wanting to help those who need to stay near the hospital, and also have children,” explained Tracy Willard, the Executive Director of Hunter Hospitality House.  “Our other homes, with their bed and breakfast style accommodations, are ideal for adults.  However, this house will be perfect for a family to stay in, alone, assuring they will have the freedom to relax and attend to their children in a private setting.”
Although the house is conveniently across from Lake Huron Medical Center, HHH can also provide guests with the transportation they may need to McLaren Port Huron.
“There’s a lot of work to be done inside and outside of the Family House before we can open,” Willard said.  “We’ll need the help of roofing, flooring, construction, and landscape professionals, for sure.  It is our hope that many people will reach out to us and donate their time and talent.  We’ve had so many wonderful volunteers through the years. It’s been beautiful how our community has embraced our mission since we opened that first house in 2011, and the second in 2013.”
Hunter Hospitality House, Inc. was formed in 2011 in memory of Hunter Eldon Willard, the late son of founders Jeff and Tracy Willard.  Our mission is to provide a complimentary home away from home, steps away from the hospital, for those in need of restoration while either comforting a loved one or receiving treatment themselves. 
HHH’s goal is to open the new location on December 7 of 2021, which will be the organization’s 10th anniversary.  “That gives us over a year to work on the renovations, involving a lot of volunteers in a safe manner with COVID-19 precautions,” said Willard.  That day would also have been their son Hunter’s 30th birthday. 
If you would like to contribute your time, talent or treasure for Hunter Hospitality Family House, or the organization itself, visit our website at hunterhospitalityhouse.com, email them at hunterhospitalityhouse@gmail.com, or call them at 810-824-3679.