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Sarah’s Guest House Remains Open Through COVID Sarah's Guest House Remains Open Through COVID

Non profit guest house in need of community help

By Sierra Ryder

David Haas: There could be a chance that down the road where you have to stay at a house like ours
Sierra Ryder: Well-known charity Ronald McDonald house has just entered phase 2 of their reopening plan after COVID shut its doors to guests. But there is a similar house that has remained open, Sarah’s Guest House. Executive Director of the house David Haas is thrilled they could keep their doors unlocked.
Haas: I’m proud to say we stayed open. We did not close for one day at all, we’ve had to adjust a lot of things at the house. But we’ve stayed open the whole time, which is awesome
Shannon Griffin: A lot of your urgent things like accidents and what not so i think that would be the one things that I wish people knew we were here operating the whole time
Ryder: Sarah’s Guest House is committed to keeping families and loved ones together during medical procedures. Most recently a woman from Kenya stayed at the house during the pandemic.
Haas: she does not have a home here. She did not have the resources to get a hotel. So she would have had just been stuck.
Ryder: Keeping the house cozy and warm for its guest is a priority…but in order to keep that up they will need more of this from the community.
Since the house is not running at full capacity they are bringing in half the normal amount of donations from guests…so they need to rely on getting more money elsewhere.
Haas: I would also say that donations are how we stay afloat, we need their support and their dollars.
Ryder: A main focus now is to get the name Sarah’s Guest House out there, so people know they have a place to stay when they might need it most. Sierra Ryder, N-C-C News

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS)– Nonprofit charity houses like Syracuse’s Ronald McDonald House and Sarah’s Guest House are an important place for families to stay when a loved one is getting medical treatment far from home.  The houses provide free lodging, transportation and food.  However, the COVID pandemic has changed how the houses function.

The Ronald McDonald House just opened over a month ago after shutting its doors to guests. House Manager Nicole Poplawski said the house just moved on from stage 2 to stage 3 of its reopening plan.

“We currently have just entered phase 3 which allows for up to 15 families however we currently are at 4 families,” said Poplawski.

While the McDonald house was closed, Sarah’s Guest House remained open for guests.  Executive Director of the home, David Haas, is proud the house remained open.

“We did not close for one day at all, we’ve had to adjust a lot of things at the house. But we’ve stayed open the whole time, which is awesome,” exclaimed Haas.

Some of the adjustments the house has made are temperature checks, half capacity, and the removal of common areas.

“Because of COVID our guests have to eat in their bedroom, which is obviously different than it typically is. So, some of that bonding isn’t occurring,” said Haas.

The house was forced to cancel one of their most lucrative fundraising events, a gala held in April.  In previous years, the house would get a large portion of their annual donations from this event alone.

“Unfortunately, that’s where the majority of our money comes from to operate. It’s like 70% or something crazy,” said operations and office manager Shannon Griffin.

To combat this financial problem Sarah’s Guest House has launched a new fundraiser called “Fund the House.”

The goal is to reach $30,000 in the coming weeks.

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