The lifesaving gift of organ donation and transplant care don’t take time off for weekends, holidays or winter weather – and neither does Gift of Life Howie’s House.
Keeping a 32-room home running around the clock takes an entire community. The 12 full-time House staff members, along with interns, relief managers, volunteers, vendors, and community partners, all play a role in making sure the House is welcoming, safe and ready for every family who arrives.
Housekeeping
Katrina has been the primary housekeeper at the House for over 5 years through our janitorial vendor, Pritchard Industries. Specially trained for medical facilities like the House, Katrina is integral to maintaining the warm, welcoming environment we strive to create here.
“When I started working here, I thought that I would just be cleaning, but I didn’t know I was going to build relationships and connect with all different types of people so that has been really impactful.”– Katrina
Facilities
Our facilities team keeps the 32-room House safe, comfortable and running smoothly by handling everything from routine maintenance to unexpected repairs. Jason Charnick, a service technician with Gillespie Electric, has supported the House with on-call maintenance and electrical issues for 13 years.
“Working at the House has been special because you get to help people in need from the day-to-day interactions with guests and staff to working on impactful projects like the Chimes of Hope. Gift of Life has treated me like an employee despite being an outside contractor, and it’s been great to feel like a part of the organization.”
Brian Smith (left) joined Gift of Life in 2025 after more than 18 years in the facilities field. He says working at the House is different because of the unique needs of transplant families.
“Catering to the unique needs of the different people here at the House makes this job different than my other jobs. I like interacting with the people here and hearing their stories. Everybody’s dedication to the same goal is amazing.”
Nights, Weekends and Holidays
Transplant care doesn’t always happen during business hours, so our part-time relief managers help keep House operations running smoothly when full-time staff are unavailable. House Operations Team Lead, Genevieve Moore, has been working at the House for over 10 years and helps manage all staff and operations at the House. She says:
“Relief managers are often the person on the floor who is making sure the needs of our guests and staff are being addressed, responding to unexpected situations, supporting the team, and helping maintain the welcoming environment that House is known for. They really help provide consistency and stability for the House, especially when other managers are not present.”
Making the Holidays Feel Like Home
For families spending Thanksgiving, Christmas or another holiday at the House, volunteers and community partners help make them feel a little more at home.
Holiday volunteers prepare and serve meals, organize activities, deliver gifts and donations, and simply spend time with families who may otherwise be far from their own homes.
It Takes a Community
As Genevieve Moore says, “There is a tremendous amount of effort that goes into keeping the House running, and a lot of that work happens behind the scenes. Operations, guest services, social work, housekeeping, facilities, development, volunteers, security, and our leadership team all have different responsibilities, but the work overlaps constantly. It takes a lot of people, a lot of flexibility, and a lot of small efforts every day to make the House feel like the welcoming and supportive place it is.”