Joe’s House A Lodging guide for cancer patients
Where do our patients find us? How do patients, their family members and caregivers discover Joe’s House? One of our major initiatives in both 2007 and 2008 was marketing Joe’s House. We used several methods, such as placing print ads, attending oncology conferences, and partnering with cancer advocacy groups. But lots of patients find us themselves through various sites and partners.
The easiest and most common way to find us is through Google. Google is certainly the most used search engine on the web. Type in a myriad of keywords such as “patient lodging,” “places to stay near medical centers,” “motels near hospitals,” or use the words “lodging,” “accommodations,” “places to stay,” or “housing” with almost any cancer center name and you’ll see Joe’s House listed. We even have an Ad Word campaign, which features us as a sponsored link thanks to Google Grants. Others find us through cancer advocacy web sites, such as American Cancer Society, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, National Institutes of Health Rare Diseases, Corporate Angel Network, Patient Advocacy Network, Myeloma International Foundation, Mercy Medical, and scores more (click on the Resources page on Joe’s House to see a complete list). We receive referrals on our site from all types of advocacy and support sites.
Know of a site that could use a resource like Joe’s House? Email us at info@joeshouse.org. The Great White Way Supports Joe’s House Broadway and New York go together like apple pie and ice cream. Next spring our friends at Heiress Productions will put on a play just off Broadway with the proceeds going to Joe’s House. Stay tuned for more details on this fun production and a great way to support Joe’s House. Joe’s House as “charity of the week website” The all-encompassing travel portal, JohnnyJet.com sited Joe’s House as its charity of the week website on September 30th this year. Johnny Jet’s newsletter goes out to thousands of subscribers and gives all types of advice, deals and fantastic travel tips. They loved our concept and told all of their readers who might be in need of our services about it. Check it out at www.johnnyjet.com. More press Joe’s House was sited in an article about traveling for cancer treatment in Cure magazine’s fall issue. Many of our partners, such as American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodges, the National Association of Hospital Hospitality Houses, and Miracle House, were featured. Shopping to help others It’s getting to be that time of year again. If you shop online, and in this economy it makes sense, you can help Joe’s House. Take a minute to go to Good Shop at www.goodshop.com. All you have to do is choose Joe’s House as your charity of choice, then click over to your favorite site, whether that’s Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, The Pet Store, The Apple Store, Gap, or one of the many others out there. It’s easy and a great way to help Joe’s House.
Renewal Project Each year Joe’s House must go out to each of our lodging facility partners and renegotiate discounted rates for the following year. Yep, that’s right, each of our 1250 places to stay must be renewed for the following year! It’s a very big job and one that takes months to complete. If you are one of our lodging partners and have your medical or Joe’s House rates ready, please let us know at info@joeshouse.org.
Featured Hotel New York in the fall is lovely, the leaves are changing and the air is brisk. But if you are traveling to the city for treatment, its high season and the hotels are frightfully expensive. We’d like to tell you about of a jewel of a deal from one of our participating properties just outside of New York in Fort Lee, New Jersey. The Holiday Inn George Washington Bridge at Fort Lee is offering Joe’s House the fantastic rate of $113 for the rest of the year. For any of you that know how expensive New York hotels are, it’s quite a savings. We send many thanks to Nicholas Searles and the folks at the Holiday Inn GW Bridge. They also now offer a shuttle service to New York Presbyterian Hospital/Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at 168th Street – another great amenity. Spread the word! Annual Donation Drive This time every year Joe’s House goes out to its donor base to ask for all of you to open your wallets to help us continue our good work. With the economy suffering it will be a challenge for all of us. Be sure to be on the lookout for our donation support request in the mail (both physical and email). If you can, please continue your support to help us carry on with helping patients and their families easily find affordable lodging when they travel for life saving treatment.
Remember your donation is tax deductible and you may donate by check, credit card and online at www.joeshouse.org.
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