I know, how could we possibly plan a celebratory event on such a tragic date? However, I was quickly reminded by a volunteer that while 9/11 was a terrible day for most of the world, for one small community in Gander, Newfoundland Canada, it was the day the world came to their town. As the airplanes across North American were instructed to immediately land, that small town of 10,000 people welcomed over 6,000 guests stranded during this tragedy. Their acts of true hospitality were chronicled in a book, as well as in an interview with Tom Brokov.
I am providing links to these sources.
http://www.popmatters.com/books/reviews/d/day-the-world-came-to-town.shtml
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O6mU-5k4kk
Tulsa is leaving a similar legacy of hospitality to patients and families who find themselves needing lodging, meals, and support during a medical crisis away from home. Over 25,000 patients a year travel to Tulsa for inpatient medical care. Half of those patients are on Medicaid, Medicare, or are uninsured. These families are not able to afford the hotel, meals, and other basic living needs associated with a medical stay. Because of that, they are sleeping in waiting rooms or their vehicles trying to support their loved one in the hospital. Since 2006, Hospitality House of Tulsa has been the ‘home away from home’ for these families.
Our event this year is based upon Ecclesiastes 3 :
There is a t ime for everything, and a season for every act ivity under heaven:
a t ime to be born and a t ime to die,
a t ime to plant and a t ime to uproot,
a t ime to kill and a t ime to heal,
a t ime to tear down and a t ime to build,
a t ime to weep and a t ime to laugh,
a t ime to mourn and . . .
I hope you will join us as we come together to support families facing a medical crisis away from home! For more information go to our website and click Events. http://www.tulsahospitalityhouse.org
