A charity known for its barbecue fundraisers is donating $1 million to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg to turn apartments into housing for patients’ families.
Hogs for the Cause, a New Orleans-based nonprofit, said its third “Hogs House” will provide free quarters for families while their child undergoes extended hospital care.
There will be four apartments, each with an open-style kitchen and dining area, living room, restroom, bedroom and unit-shared bedrooms, for a total of six bedrooms inside the house. A wellness garden will feature a canopy, path and interactive nature elements.
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The renovation will take place at the on-campus Rada Apartments, 460 Eighth Ave. S., which currently houses visiting physicians,” hospital communications specialist Sarah Hollenbeck said in an email.
A construction schedule has not been determined yet, Hollenbeck said.
The Hogs House will complement three Ronald McDonald House facilities on campus that already offer more than 60 private overnight bedrooms for patients’ families.
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Hogs for the Cause’s primary mission is supporting families dealing with pediatric brain cancer. It provides grants to children's hospitals, direct grants to families and funding for outreach programs.
This will be the first Hogs House built outside of Louisiana. There is one in New Orleans and another in Baton Rouge.
The nonprofit said it also covers the operating costs of the buildings.
“Both of our Hogs Houses have been at full capacity since we opened the doors," Becker Hall, co-founder and chief executive officer of the organization, said in a news release. "It definitely proves there is a great need for this type of housing
The organization’s flagship fundraiser is a popular barbecue competition and music festival each spring in New Orleans.
Hogs for the Cause’s interest in All Children’s was kindled when a friend of the nonprofit’s founder moved to the Tampa area,” Hollenbeck said.
After the friend told the charity’s leaders about the hospital, representatives visited the campus and “specifically wanted to look at our patient family housing because that's related to some projects they supported in New Orleans," she said.
“Not long after that, we learned they would be fundraising for us,” Hollenbeck added.
Hogs for the Cause said it has committed over $12.5 million in grants over the past 16 years.
“And we are just getting started,” said Zandy Rainold, the nonprofit’s chief financial officer.
