2006 Annual Fund Drive

2006 was very good to us! Thanks to all of our generous donors Joe’s House experienced yet another good year. We raised over $10,000 on our annual drive. That money coupled with our successful fundraisers made for a good positive cash flow for this year.

And we’ll need it! Joe’s House will be doing some intense marketing and advertising in 2007. This is the year we’re going to pull out all of the stops to get the word out. We want to make Joe’s House a household name in 2007!

We wouldn’t be in business if it weren’t for all of you. Every dollar helps so much. We know that all of you are asked by many charities for contributions. Joe’s House thanks each and every one of you for all that you have done for us in 2006.

Joe’s House New Voice on the Phone

Joe’s House is very lucky to have a new voice at the other end of our toll free line. Clara Benjamin joined us in 2006 and has done a fantastic job conveying our information to our patients, social workers and other callers. Here is some more information about her.

Q.      Tell us a little bit about yourself.

A.      I am a 19-year old newlywed. I married my high school sweetheart and followed him across the country where he serves in the Navy. I am the middle child of five and proud aunt to a beautiful three-year old named Arianna. The Navy has taken us to Norfolk, VA, far from my family in Illinois where my husband serves as an Aviation Electrician. As for enjoyment I like to read, cook, and organize—oddly enough. Also I love the beach; after living in Midwest my entire life and seeing only oceans of corn and sky, I adore running out to the beach.

How did you come to answer the phone for Joe's House?

I had just moved to the area and was experiencing the joys of being young and married—no obligations and plenty of potential. However, I did not have anything to funnel any of my energy into other than our little white third floor apartment while my husband was at work. I started thinking of finding a job to keep me busy. I mentioned it to a Navy couple we had just met at church that had also just moved to the area. Being a seasoned mover, she immediately began networking I received a call from another woman who requested my resume for a position that just became available at her work. Thus I can to work at Angel Flight operating their national resource and information help line for patients seeking answers on charitable aviation options. Once trained on the Help Line they gave me the opportunity to answer the Joe’s House line and provide further information for patients.

Q.  What do you like best about working for Joe's House?

A.  I appreciate the amazing people here at Joe’s House. When my director explained the story of Ann Calahan and her late husband Joe. As the story was conveyed to me she bravely campaigned to put an end to that need and confusion. Not to be overly dramatic, but it is such a courageous story of personal obstacles that are overcome and then transformed for the greater good. That’s what is so great about working at Joe’s House—every, single day average people come together to do awesome things for total strangers so that the world can be better.

Q.  What has been your most amazing story connected with Joe's House?

A.  My amazing story for Joe’s House was a middle aged woman who frantically called to ask for insurance help. She was mistakenly told that Joe’s House would provide insurance money to cover housing. She was in Nashville, TN after learning that her 20-year-old son was in a motorcycle accident that left him in critical condition and coma. After swallowing the huge lump in my throat and holding back the tears, I explained that I could provide that housing information for her, but we were not an insurance company and actually a non-profit organization that could provide housing options at a discount. She apologized both for the tears and the miscommunications and after assuring her that it was no problem, I found the Guest House Inn for 60 dollars a day from our site. “Money is no matter miss; either is the accommodations. I am here for my baby and I would sleep in the hospital if the hotel wasn’t so close. I just need to be close to my son.” I gave her the reservation phone number, and I could just hear that although she was absolutely in family crisis she would at least have a place to sleep and rest. Cathy thanked me that day, but I feel like I should have thanked her because the opportunity to help that mother was priceless. She called three weeks later from a new number to tell me that her son was okay although with some problems. They were on their way home today in an ambulance. She thanked me again and I told her it was my pleasure. We may never speak again, but that call will always be with me.

Let’s hear from one of our lodging facilities

Here’s a quote from one of our long time partners in Houston. Jackie Oesterman, Sales Manager at the Hilton Houston Plaza – Medical Center says, “The Hilton Houston Plaza-Medical Center supports Joe's House for the outstanding job they do to support those who are in crisis because of cancer. We are pleased to offer special discounted room rates for the patient's and their caregivers while in Houston for medical treatment. We hope to be able to make a difference in these very special lives.”

Thank you Jackie!  

2007 Initiatives

2007 Lodging Rates and Services.  As we mentioned in our last letter each year Joe’s House negotiates rates with our lodging partners across the country. With over 900 properties, it’s a big job! Our friends at Best Western renewed our participation in their “Best Western for a Better World” program. They came in with about 100 hotels and we’re still not finished collecting them. Thank you Best Western!

This year our lodging partners of InterContinental Hotel Groups (Holiday Inns, Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites) are participating with over 200 hotels! That is quite a bit more than last year. We hope that the discounts provided by both of our partnerships will benefit the thousands of cancer patients out there that are in need.

But that’s not all! Our colleagues at AmeriSuites – A Global Hyatt Affiliate and Drury Hotels (Drury Inn, Drury Inn and Suites, Drury Suites, and Peartree Inns) have come through for Joe’s House again in 2007. Check out the great hotels and suites, as well as the generous discounts they are offering patients this year.

Marketing and Advertising.  As mentioned Joe’s House will be initiating an intense marketing and advertising campaign. We plan to put ads in health related magazines

If you know of anyone with advertising expertise that may want to give us a hand, please let us know at info@joeshouse.org.

Heartfelt Thanks!

Our heartfelt thanks go out, once again to our volunteers! Our web designer, David Ulf continued to improve our site and help us keep our database up-to-date and clean. No thank you would be complete without our hard working researcher and key rate solicitor Rhonda Shapiro. Thanks to our printers (NYSUT Print Shop), who have been a great help to us and always did a superb job. And thank you to all of you that have given advise, helped us find philanthropic minded vendors, and helped with fundraisers. As always, we couldn’t do it without you.

New Links on Joe’s House.  – Miracle Flights for Kids (www.miracleflights.org) and The Ovarian Cancer Alliance at www.ovariancancer.org.