READING, Pa. — The holidays can be joyful, but for some families, they’re spent at the hospital.
This year, DoubleTree by Hilton Reading is partnering with Reading Hospital to help ease that burden, offering complimentary overnight stays to families with loved ones receiving care.
Chris Shellhammer, president of Reading Hospitality and DoubleTree by Hilton Reading, says the idea came from recognizing how difficult the holidays can be for families who may not live nearby.
“There’s a lot of people who will be in the hospital this time of year, and those folks don’t always have family members who are nearby,” Shellhammer said.
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Hotel staff say the idea was simple.
“The thought became pretty obvious that we can give people a free place to stay and take care of them and give them the opportunity to just focus on their loved one and focus on them getting better,” he said.
The program runs from Dec. 21 through Dec. 30, with families able to stay as many nights as they need during that time frame, based on availability.
“It just gives them an opportunity to rest and relax and hopefully focus on the things that are important to them right now,” Shellhammer added.
DoubleTree Reading hopes this will not be the last time.
“The hope is that this can be something that we do year in and year out and another way for us to help give back,” he said. “My hope is that this inspires others to do something similar.”
Arrangements for the complimentary stays are made through Reading Hospital social workers and patient advocates.