The idea for a hospitality home in downtown Fresno started as a tiny spark years ago. Once that spark met the right mixture of people and passion, it burst into the mighty flame that is Terry’s House today. And, so many people have continued to fuel this fire over the years.

This month, we celebrated seven years of supporting the families of critically ill or injured patients being treated across the street in one of Community Regional Medical Center’s critical care units.

We welcome more than 1,000 families from across the globe each year and I am amazed by the people we serve, their stories and their great journeys. I am inspired by the hope they’ve found within these walls and the strength they’ve mustered to carry on in the midst of fear and uncertainty with their loved ones across the street.

I am in awe of the support and love that radiates from this place and this team on a daily basis. Even after seven years, the magnitude of our impact here at Terry’s House still astounds me. It continues to buoy my faith in this community’s ability to care for and comfort those who need us most.

As a team, we regularly take the opportunity to pause and appreciate the generosity that made the initial construction of Terry’s House possible years ago. After all, it’s the reason we are here today! But even more humbling is the fact that the daily operations of our facility continue to be funded by big-hearted individuals, organizations, community groups and our very own Community Medical Centers employees.

Since Terry’s House opened its doors in 2011, donors and volunteers have continued to give their time and their financial resources to this special place. And they have inspired new contributors to do the same.

In 2017, we launched TH5, a new community of donors committed to providing funding for the next five years. We’ve been blown away by the flood of additional donations that will provide for our guests far into the future.

We also had over 800 volunteers contribute nearly 4,000 hours of service this past year – a priceless contribution when it comes to serving and comforting our families’ day in and day out. Our hearts continue to overflow with gratitude.    

As we look to the year ahead, we’ve been asked how prospective donors and new volunteers can get involved and what difference their contributions will make at Terry’s House. We would like to share some of our immediate needs and look forward to you joining us in sharing our mission and our needs as we look to care for families in 2018.

Making up the difference – Hosting family stays

The cost to stay at Terry’s House is $30 a night, but over 70% of families need financial assistance especially when staying for several months with no income stream and surmounting expenses (i.e. mortgage, utilities, car payment, child care, medical bills etc.).

We must raise approximately $500,000 in donations a year to operate Terry’s House.

Sustain our families - Host a meal at Terry’s House

Our families spend the majority of their day tending to the needs of their loved one at Community Regional. During times of great stress, they often forget to care for themselves. Hosting a meal for our families is an easy way to let them know you care and to ensure they are staying strong for their loved ones.

It’s EASY! Simply call us at (559) 459-7200 for more information.

It’s the little things - Terry’s House Wish List

Terry’s House is continually in need of the little things that make our home-away-from-home, just that. Visit our Wish List and purchase a “little” item that will make a “BIG” difference here for our families.

Some items include:

• Dishware

• Alarm clocks

• Laundry soap

• Blow dryers

 Thank you for your continued support of our Terry's House families!

 
Christa Short
Director, Terry's House