SUDBURY—It was 19 years ago that the House of Kin first opened its doors and since that date, more than 300,000 people from across the North have made it their home away from home while seeking medical treatment in Sudbury. A recent gathering at the Caruso Club in Sudbury celebrated the retirement of the House of Kin founder and chairman of the board, surprising the guest of honour and providing the opportunity for communities across the North to show their gratitude to the man who made it all happen.
“They managed to surprise me,” laughed Chris Sheridan, who explained that he had been told the dinner would be a quiet private affair with the members of the board. Instead, Mr. Sheridan found himself the unaccustomed centre of attention of more than 220 people gathered for a dinner in his honour emceed by Moose FM’s Bob Alexander.
It was in 1982, as Mr. Sheridan was leaving a board meeting at the Memorial Hospital, that he noticed numerous people sleeping in their cars and in the chairs of the lobby. He quickly discovered that these were people who were “supporting a friend or a family member who were undergoing specialized medical treatment and could not afford regular hotel rates.”
Mr. Sheridan soon enlisted the help of local hotel/motel associations, and the concept for a program was developed and presented to the local Sudbury Kinsmen Club. By the fall of 1983, the program began providing hotel rooms at a substantially lower cost to qualified applicants and in its first year, the Kinsmen Club had assisted 120 families through the program, and by the second year that number had grown to 280 families.
In 1997, “after tireless efforts by the board of directors and volunteers,” the foundation purchased the Grand Prix Inn and changed its name to the House of Kin/Maison de Kin.
As the House of Kin notes, “this name reflects the true expression of family and people who care and support one another; a quality provided for those staying at the facility.”
In the intervening years, the House of Kin had made it possible for family members across the North to be there to support their family members as they go through the trauma of medical procedures, including the recovery, diagnosis or treatment process.
“We have a great board and advisory council,” noted Mr. Sheridan, in whom the House of Kin will be a legacy that doubtless will remain a lasting reminder of the contributions that a determined individual can make.
As for Mr. Sheridan’s role with the organization, while he is stepping back, the founder will remain active on the board as an ex officio member and he remains on a number of committees. “Like the property committee,” he said. “My experience is in that industry.”
“A lot of people from down your way over the last 19 years have been guests,” noted Mr. Sheridan.
In another Island connection, well-known local medical professional Bob Quackenbush sits on the board, while his sister, Roman Catholic nun Sister Sarah Quackenbush, will be the new chair of the board.
