About Pay-It-Forward House

Enjoy this brief video about Pay-It-Forward House, then scroll down for more information.

Serving Those Caring For Others

We work to compassionately remove some of the stress from caregivers so that they can focus on their loved ones. 

Gloria

Our guest, Gloria,  was 81 at the time of her stay. She was able to be by her daughter’s bedside at Kindred, Sycamore during her daughter’s last weeks of life. 

Laura and Son

Guest Laura, pictured with her son, Carlos. Laura has stayed with us off and on over the past year and a half as her son has had to return to Kindred, Sycamore for treatment. 

Room for More

Guests are given a hotel room through a partner hotel. We have access to one room at Kindred, Sycamore, for guests whose patients are critical or for guests who have difficulty getting back and forth to the hotel. 

Our Mission

The mission of Pay-It-Forward House is to provide a place of rest for patients and their loved ones during times of medical treatment in DeKalb county and neighboring counties.

Our Values

TRUST in people’s kindness to others and in their respect for the facilities made available to them.
RESPECT for all, especially our guests and the physical and emotional fatigue they are experiencing.
CARING demonstrated by a willingness to provide as little or as much companionship and support as each guest welcomes.
GRATITUDE for the generosity of others who make it possible for guests to find a place of rest and respite.

The Story Behind our Name

When we first opened our doors in 2005, many people were not familiar with the phrase pay it forward. That is less the case today, but in case you’re curious, here is the explanation we felt obliged to print in our February 2006 newsletter.

It has become clear that many people think the name Pay-It-Forward House a bit “strange,” to put it mildly. They have read on our brochure that to “pay it forward is to do a good deed for a stranger in their time of need” or some have heard that the 12-year-old hero of the book, Pay It Forward, set out to change the world through a chain of human kindness. He told people not to pay him back for his “big helps,” but rather to “pay it forward.” But, as one person said, “I don’t get it. The House helps others, but why the name?”

So, let me explain. Our involvement with Kindred Hospital dates back to September 2002. Phil’s sister, Carol, was suffering from stage-four breast cancer and complications had left her on a ventilator, and a patient at Kindred Hospital. That’s how we became aware that, in spite of how tough our situation seemed, we were lucky. We lived within walking distance. We made friends with many families who were not so lucky and were commuting from great distances to be at their loved one’s bedside.

Carol was successfully weaned from the ventilator on Christmas Day 2002 and we were blessed with her presence and love for almost two years after that. She was inspired by the pay it forward philosophy when the book was published in 2000, and wove it into her teaching of middle school students before she became ill.

Once released from the hospital, she put the philosophy into action in the last months of her life, raising more than $10,000 for the American Cancer Society. In spite of being confined to a wheelchair and weakened by chemo therapy, she sang a song and told her story on an inspirational CD to educate women not to avoid going to the doctor out of fear.

As Phil and I considered how to honor her memory, we searched for a way for us to pay it forward as well. Another loss in our lives- the death of my father in 2003-allowed us to take the steps to purchase the property that is now the Pay-It-Forward House. We never imagined that we’d be so blessed by all your help, support and love. We set out to make something good out of the bad in our lives. Thanks to you, an amazing chain of human kindness is touching many lives!

Warm regards,
MaryLou Eubanks
Founder/
Emeritus Board Member

Moving Forward

When the charming home that served as the organization’s hospitality house for 16 years sold in the fall of 2021, the organization moved toward placing guests families in partner hotels, as they had often done before, when demand for rooms exceeded capacity in the hospitality house.  The goal of the Board of Directors became to find a property that would offer better accessibility for guest families, as well as private bathrooms, all while remaining within a few miles of Kindred and Kishwaukee hospitals and staying within city zoning guidelines. While the eventual hope is to find a suitable home, the 2 ½ years since the house’s sale has inadvertently proven the hotel rooms to meet the primary goal of Pay-It-Forward House – to provide temporary lodging to families wanting to stay close to their hospitalized loved ones. 

We care for those that do the caring.

How do we impact lives?

  • providing a home away from home
  • lessening the financial burden
  • providing food, lodging and supplies
  • emotional support as a place of no judgement

Last year alone...

  • We served 29 guests over 333 nights of rest
  • Our volunteers “donated” over 635 hours of their time and talents

As a charitable 501(c)(3) organization, our fiscal sustainability continues to be solely reliant on the generosity of our community members, local businesses and health care community, as well as local churches, foundations and numerous service organizations.

As of January  2022, we have provided over 21,840 nights of rest for guests with a loved one dealing with a health crisis! We couldn’t have done this without your support!

Stay Connected

There are many different ways to support Pay-It-Forward House. Click below to start receiving our newsletter or to make a donation.

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