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'Pay It Forward' opens doors for first look |
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Dekalb Daily Chronicle 2/12/05 By Renee Messacar - Staff Writer The Sycamore resident is spearheading a project to open a home at 719 Somonauk St. for relatives and friends of Kindred Hospital patients. On Sunday, she will show off the not-yet-finished house to the community that contributed greatly to its creation, she said. She and other volunteers will lead tours of the Pay It Forward House from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, with a 2 p.m. tour of Kindred Hospital. The Edward Street hospital treats people with extensive illnesses that require the use of ventilators. Some patients stay at the hospital for months. Having a sick loved one is difficult, Eubanks said. She had a sister-in-law in Kindred years ago and felt lucky she didn't have far to travel to visit her. Some families of Kindred patients travel hours each way to visit loved ones. Staying in hotels or commuting becomes too expensive and difficult, Eubanks said. She stayed in a hospitality house herself when one of her daughter's was ill. She said she couldn't have made it through that difficult time without the help of strangers. When her father died and left her some money, she decided to return the favor, or "pay it forward." In October, she proposed to the city's plan commission that she would like to start a hospitality house where these visitors could stay for a nominal fee. She called it a "home away from home." Since announcing her intentions, she has received support from throughout the community to get the home ready for its spring opening. On Friday, it needed a little additional work before it can open, such as emergency lighting and fire detectors. Volunteers will prepare the home today for the open house Sunday. They will sweep the hardwood floors, vacuum the carpets and dust the donated furniture, such as an antique dinning room set with buffet table. The donor said the set had belonged to his grandmother and he couldn't use it, but he knew she would have liked it going to such a cause. Churches and groups have collected items for the house, such as the Sycamore United Methodist, which filled the kitchen with glasses, plates, towels and utensils. The kitchen contains a toaster, microwave, refrigerator and non-working stove. "People can fix small meals here," Eubanks said. Having a non-working stove was part of her agreement with the city to limit fire hazards. Upstairs, guests will stay in the three bedrooms and share the home's two-and-a-half bathrooms. The rooms weren't furnished as of Friday, but Eubanks intended to place at least bed frames in them today, she said. "The tour is to give people an idea of where we are in the project and what we need," she said. "We wanted to share the dream with them." The basement includes a laundry room with a rocking chair and walls painted the color of churned butter, Eubanks said. "It's the cheeriest laundry room you'll ever see," she said. In the family room, volunteers will set up comfortable furniture where people can gather to watch television, play games and work on puzzles. The room contains sliding glass doors that lead to a large patio and full yard that Eubanks hopes one day will contain a gazebo and flowers. "The house isn't finished yet, but we still want to show it off to the community," she said. She said she is thankful for the community's support. She said she and the volunteers decided on the home's name because "paying it forward is a good way to live."
Renee Messacar can be reached at rmessacar@pulitzer.net
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