Fulfilling a Need

Adult or Pediatric cancer. Premature newborns. Stroke. Traumatic injuries. For families whose loved ones are undergoing treatment for these situations and more, managing travel and accommodation adds another layer of stress. As parents, grandparents, siblings and spouses yearn to spend every possible moment providing emotional support, they must also eat, sleep, bathe and see to urgent work, family and financial issues.

While some communities have been blessed by the presence of institutions that provide temporary housing, the Greater Roseville Area – home to several major acute care hospitals – had no such resource. And other housing options are often overbooked or unaffordable.

This left families, especially those traveling 35 miles or more between home and hospital, with one of three unappealing options: leaving their loved one’s bedside to drive back and forth, spending already tapped resources on hotel stays or sleeping in chairs, cars or hospital floors to stay close by.

Zafia’s House, inspired by the dying wish of a beloved daughter, offers a better option. With low- or no-cost accommodation provided in partnership with nearby hotel facilities, families can rest, recharge and take care of other matters while staying just minutes from their loved one.

Accommodations through Zafia’s Family House are coordinated through referrals from hospital social workers in neonatal intensive care, rehabilitation, oncology, trauma and surgical departments.