A Beacon Of Hope

The NMU hockey team and Mary Dowling at the 2013 Walt Kyle Mile. (Photo by Roweena Langin)

People all over the world can unexpectedly find themselves in need of medical treatments that can not be provided close to home. This forces them to travel to locations that are sometimes very far away from home to receive the treatments they need to cure their illnesses. These patients and their family members are forced to find a temporary place to stay for the duration of the treatment.  Some lucky towns and cities have hospitality homes that provided a safe, low cost place to stay during their treatment. Marquette Michigan is one of those lucky places. 

A room at Beacon House (Photo by Roweena Langin)

The Beacon House of Marquette Michigan is a non-profit hospitality house created to provide free housing for patients and their loved ones needing to stay in Marquette for medical care. Their mission is to provide a safe, friendly, and supportive environment with a home-like atmosphere for the patients and their caregivers traveling to Marquette County for medical care. People of all ages are welcome and each patient gets his or her own room.

Beacon House started in 1990 in a small house across from Marquette General Hospital. In 2002 the organization purchased The Village Inn Hotel, and moved all operations into the building. This move has allowed them to help more people in need. The building has 33 private guest rooms, a stocked communal kitchen, dining room, laundry room, lobby, kids playroom and several lounge areas. Bedding is provided but you must bring your own personal care items, towels and washcloths. You are also responsible for maintaining your own room while staying there.

The kitchen at Beacon House. (Photo by Roweena Langin)

Beacon House is run by just a handful of staff and volunteers made up of a board of directors and people from all over the United States. Some of the common duties that are preform are stocking the kitchen, prepare rooms, registering gests, and spending time with them.  Operations are financed on donations from the public and through various fundraisers held throughout the year.

The start of the Walk Kyle Mile 2013. (Photo by Roweena Langin)

Their next big charity event is the Walt Kyle Mile Cancer Walk on Saturday September 13 at the Berry Events Center. Registration is from 8 to 8:30am. Everyone leaves on his or her journey at 9am. Walt Kyle, coach of the NMU hockey team and cancer survivor hosts the event. For seven years people have been gathering at the Berry Events Center to enjoy a pleasant walk and support those in need of help.

If running and competition are more your thing, you can join the hockey team and participate in the 5k dash and have the opportunity to win prizes. New to the event this year is the Dance Walk led buy the NMU dance team. Follow the ladies dance routines or go crazy and do you own thing,  just remember to have fun. If you are unable to participate you can still sponsor participants. Come join the athletes of NMU, me, and other members of your community in support of a great cause. For more information go to the Walt Kyle Mile Home Page.

Walt Kyle giving his speach at the 2013 Walt Kyle Mile. (Photo by Roweena Langin)

They also provide Hospitality Rooms in Marquette General Hospital. These rooms house 2 patients and have 2 beds. The rooms have a TV, shower, phone, linens, and towels. You are responsible for your personal care items. There are communal areas that provide TV, coffee, microwave, refrigerator, laundry and computer access. They have easy access to the hospital cafeteria, gift shop, and coffee shop.

Says Beacon Houses’ CEO Mary (Tavernini) Dowling, “Beacon House and the Hospitality Rooms are available for guests who find themselves here unexpectedly, or who have a doctor appointment or scheduled surgery, and may make a reservation in advance.” 

To make reservation for Beacon House and Hospitality Rooms You will need:

• Patient’s name, date of birth, home town, and phone number
• Guest names and dates of birth
• Physician’s name, appointment date and time

Lobby of Beacon House. (Photo by Roweena Langin)

To get more information about Beacon House:

Patients, family members, and caregivers can call (906) 225-7100.

Office hours: Mon– Fri 8 AM 9PM, Sat 12PM – 2PM, Sun 2PM – 9PM.

You can also get information or make donations by looking at their web site. Beacon House Home Page.

To get more information on the Hospitality Rooms:

Patients, family members, and caregivers can call (906) 225-3664.

Office hours: Mon-Fri 9AM – 8PM, Sat 10PM – 6PM, Sun 11AM – 7PM.

To make last minute reservations after business hours go to the Contact Center, 1^st floor, north wing entrance.

by Roweena Langin

When I was a little girl my parents taught me how to use a camera. I spent my photographic childhood in 4-H taking photos so I could enter them into the yearly county fair and have them judged. I have a BFA in photography from Northern Michigan University. My favorite photographic subjects are sports and nature. My dream career is to be a sports photographer working for a big name team or media. I have been a volunteer photographer for the Beacon House in Marquette for some of their fundraising events. In May 2014 I became a contributor with marquettemagazine.com.

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