MARQUETTE, Mich. (WJMN) – Tuesday was a very special day at the Steve Mariucci Family Beacon House. The non-profit which gives hospital patients and their families a place to stay within close proximity to UPHS Marquette is celebrating one year of having its doors open and in operation at its new facility.
Beacon House says about 2,226 guests have come through the doors and have stayed over 8,000 guest nights since those doors opened one year ago.
“Oh, the journey that we’ve been on,” said Mary Tavernini Dowling, CEO Steve Mariucci Family Beacon House. “Our board of directors has just provided such amazing leadership and guidance and governance through this whole process. I feel just absolutely privileged that I get to be the ‘lead guy’, if you will, navigating us through a lot of the things. Just from the groundbreaking, to the ribbon cutting, to the first guest checking in, and to look at us a year later after that and to see just how many lives we’ve touched. Just so many people’s lives we’ve changed. Things could have been a lot different. Especially when we get that call at 1:00 a.m., somebody that was going to sleep in their car, because they just need to be near their loved ones and when we’re able to say, ‘No, no, look over. See the lighthouse? Come this way. We’ll welcome you in.'”
To learn more about Beacon House and support its efforts, click here.
