Over the last two years, Sonder has been a proud member of the Philadelphia community. With a growing team based on the ground in Philly, we have always been dedicated to supporting and partnering with local businesses within the neighborhoods where we operate.
That’s why we are excited to partner with non-profit organization HOSTS for HOSPITALS, a non-profit that provides low-cost lodging and support for patient-families coming to the Greater Philadelphia community for medical care. Their model typically relies on the generosity of host families in Philly, who open their homes to patients from out of town. However, they have had to recently pivot their approach due to COVID-19.
As part of a new solution, we are proud to play a small role by offering free housing for visiting families and patients, who will be staying at Sonders for months at a time as they receive care from surrounding Philadelphia hospitals and medical facilities. ** As of April 2021, we’re thrilled to have provided 500 nights of complementary stays, supporting 22 families.
“We are honored to be partnering with this incredible non-profit organization, which has been providing lodging and support in the greater Philadelphia area since 2000,” said Glenn O’Sullivan, Sonder’s General Manager of Philadelphia. “As soon as we heard about the difficulties HOSTS for HOSPITALS was facing given the pandemic, we knew we wanted to be a part of the solution. We are eager to support their broader mission by providing free Sonder housing to families in need of homes during their time of care in Philadelphia.”
“These last few months have been some of the most challenging times in our 20 years of operating, given our model of pairing families in Philadelphia with incoming patients,” said Mike Aichenbaum, Executive Director of HOSTS for HOSPITALS. “With companies like Sonder now offering free places to stay for our families, we are very optimistic about our ability to pivot and continue providing our services for so many through our program.”
For those interested in providing housing for visiting families and patients, please reach out to HOSTS for HOSPITALS Executive Director Mike Aichenbaum: 484-380-2999 or mike@hostsforhospitals.org.