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(MINOT, ND) – It will soon be 10 years since Trinity Health Foundation opened the Trinity Guest House as a home away from home for families with hospitalized loved ones. To mark the anniversary, the Foundation is planning an open house for the public April 16th from 4 to 6 p.m. Refreshments and tours of the house will be available.

Some 19,000 individuals, or about 2,000 people annually, have benefitted from the service, which now offers convenient and affordable lodging for families of patients receiving treatment at any Trinity medical facility. But Foundation Director Al Evon says the Guest House isn’t a story about numbers, it’s about the many lives that have been touched.

‘The biggest comforts for our guests who reside at the House are the friendships they make,’ Evon said. ‘Most of the guests are from rural areas of North Dakota, but the House has hosted family members from 46 states, four Canadian provinces, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, and Mexico. Guests often share a special camaraderie since they are coping with similar circumstances.’

Lodging can put added stress on families in times of a health crisis. Guests often leave comments and expressions of thanks that the Guest House exists. They also enjoy the smiling service of Judy Gullickson, Foundation Facilities Manager, who has overseen the facility since it opened in 2008.

The Guest House was founded with a gift from a Minot family, who donated the building with the vision that it become a guest house. Evon says as Trinity Health makes plans for a new hospital and medical park in southwest Minot, something like the Guest House will be part of the new vision. ‘This is such an asset to our community,’ he said. ‘It’s important that we make sure it continues for all of these families.’