Community Mercy Health System of Maine
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Among the several community-based programs offered through the Mercy Health System of Maine is Gary’s House, a hospitality residence for families of patients staying at local hospitals. In today’s difficult economy, Gary’s House offers nine bedrooms for families to stay at a nominal cost of $15 a day. The home is an oasis for those struggling with a health care crisis that also often creates financial challenges. Gary’s House was so important for Tim’s family. As his brother Jim faced the final stages of his two-year battle with lung cancer, his family was able to stay at Gary’s House, just across the street from Mercy Hospital on State Street in Portland. Jim needed his family by his side during his final days of the disease. Given that they lived some 125 miles away, Gary’s House provided an ideal place to rest and restore themselves. “In the simplest of terms, the availability of Gary’s House allowed us to be a family during the most
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Above: Jim (center) with his family surrounding him at Eastern Promenade Park (from l to r): sisters Ellen and Susan, his mother Joan and Tim. Right: Newlyweds Christy and Jim after their wedding reception in 2009.
difficult of times,” said Tim. “Knowing we had a place to stay close by my brother removed a huge burden from the family.” At the end of a long day, it was comforting for the family to be able to talk, share, console or cry with the other guests of Gary’s House who were experiencing similar situations with their loved ones. The affordability of Gary’s House was important as it gave not only
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Knowing we had a place to stay close by my brother removed a huge burden from the family.
Catholic Health East Community Benefit Annual Report 2010
—Tim
Tim’s mother, sisters, and his wife Joyce the opportunity to be with Jim as often as possible; it also afforded the nieces and nephews the opportunity to visit their uncle as well. Last year, Gary’s House welcomed 553 families who had a story that was not dissimilar to the experience of Jim’s family. Occupancy increased 11 percent overall and the numbers continue to climb this year.