We are immersed daily in numbers – of cases, of hospitalizations, of tests.  Kiwanis Family House counts guest families, guest nights, rooms occupied.  To be sure, these are important measures of real human needs and of critical services provided. 

Today, however, I draw attention to the number who are unserved.  They are families who would otherwise include the comforting services of Kiwanis Family House in their medical care plans if not for the operational adjustments we have made in response to Covid-19.  In the interest of public health, KFH has taken half of our guest rooms out of service.  We are using only 16 of our 32 rooms.

Let’s assume we operate in this mode for the next 120 days.  That means 16 rooms will sit vacant for a collective 1,920 healing guest nights.  Our partner hospitals will refer many out-of-town patients and family members to us that we will be unable to accommodate when, in normal times, we would.  As a result, I also include the medical professionals who refer the families we are unable to accommodate among the unserved.

The number of unserved is a critical figure to keep in mind.  There is another metric of concern.  The lost 1,920 guest nights equate to $96,000 in potential revenue.  Please consider helping Kiwanis Family House recover a portion of that revenue loss with a donation next Thursday, the Big Day of Giving.