Mission and History
Gift of Life Howie's House was created to provide a home away from home for transplant families.
Mission Statement
Gift of Life Howie’s House serves as a “home away from home” for transplant patients and their families by providing temporary, affordable lodging, and supportive services to those who travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for transplant-related care. Gift of Life Howie’s House is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization.
History
Gift of Life Howie’s House, opened in 2011 for the purpose of providing temporary lodging and supportive services to adult and pediatric transplant patients and their family members who travel to Philadelphia for their lifesaving and life-enhancing transplant treatment. It also provides community programming in support of the entire Gift of Life region through its Caregiver Lifeline Program.
Gift of Life Howie’s House is affiliated with two other Philadelphia non-profit organizations, Gift of Life Donor Program and Transplant Foundation.
Gift of Life Donor Program (Gift of Life) was established in 1974 to improve the efficiency of recovering and sharing kidneys to its constituents in the tri-state area comprised of the eastern half of Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and the entire state of Delaware. During the past three decades, Gift of Life expanded its services to support the donation of all organs and tissue. In 1998, Gift of Life’s Board of Directors established Transplant Foundation as the charitable arm to support its programs through education, research, services to donor families and recipients and as a steward for broader community awareness and fundraising activities regarding organ and tissue donation.
Howard Nathan, former President and CEO of Gift of Life and current Executive Director of the Transplant Foundation, constructed the idea for Gift of Life Howie’s House when he personally experienced the challenges of his sister Martha’s need for a liver transplant. This experience provided a deeper understanding of the obstacles that families encounter when traveling to an unfamiliar setting, often without any caregiver support.
Howard envisioned a “home away from home” for transplant families to stay at and receive support when from traveling far away for transplant-related care. Determined to make his vision a reality, Howard rallied the support of fellow board members, donor families, contributors, management and staff to establish a house that “completes the circle of care” for transplant patients and their families.
It took 20 years for his plan to come to fruition, but construction of Gift of Life Howie’s House finally commenced in the fall of 2009 and its doors officially opened for families in July 2011.
A Home Away From Home
The House features thirty-two guest rooms, serving up to four family members per room, and provides a place where families undergoing similar experiences can share time together while their loved ones are awaiting or undergoing their life-saving transplant. A large communal kitchen and dining room allow families to interact with each other and find the support and strength they need to help them navigate this extremely challenging situation. Additional House services include shuttle transportation to/from the hospitals, secure parking, laundry facilities, an indoor activity center, fitness center, wireless computer/internet access and library and learning resources. No medical services are provided at Gift of Life Howie’s House; it is intended to be a comfortable and supportive environment for family members. Gift of Life Howie’s House primarily serves out-of-town families living more than 25 miles away with a family member who is a patient awaiting a transplant or receiving follow-up care at one of the following Philadelphia-area transplant centers:
Einstein Medical Center, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Temple University Hospital, Jefferson Health, University of Pennsylvania Health System
New Name, Same Mission
For the first 10 years of operation, Gift of Life Howie’s House was named Gift of Life Family House. The House was re-named in 2022 to recognize Howard’s 43 years of life-saving service at Gift of Life Donor Program. Howard began his career in 1978 as a transplant coordinator and then served as President and CEO of Gift of Life Donor Program for 38 years, which continues to be one of the largest and most successful organ procurement organization in the nation largely due to his leadership. During his tenure, over 53,500 organs were transplanted and 2 million tissues were coordinated
In 2022, Howard transitioned his role as President and CEO to become the Executive Director of the Transplant Foundation. In honor of Howard and the success of his vision, it was re-dedicated as Gift of Life Howie’s House on June 29th, 2022. Click here to learn more about the name change and dedication.
