COVID-19 was tough on the hotel industry, as Bernie Murphy can attest. After 45 years, the Decatur resident wrapped up a hospitality career when there were almost no guests left to serve. But then came the even tougher dilemma: What to do with his free time.
“I couldn’t figure out what to do with myself, but I knew I wanted to volunteer,” he said. “But during COVID, nobody wanted you. Places were closed.”
Last year, Murphy went back to searching online for volunteer opportunities and hit on the Atlanta Hospital Hospitality House. The DeKalb nonprofit with his life’s work in the title seemed like a good fit. He emailed the director, and within two hours he’d been recruited.
“I think it was right after she heard I’d been 45 years in the hotel business when she asked, ‘When can you start?’” said Murphy.
The nine-bedroom house, about eight minutes from Murphy’s own, provides a homelike environment for individuals and families farther than 40 miles from hospitals but who need to be close by for treatment. For $60 to $125 a night, they can settle in to a comfortable environment for days or weeks to offset hotel and food bills. Some rooms have spa tubs, separate entrances and compact kitchens, and guests have full access to the main, stocked kitchen and dining area where they can enjoy dinners prepared by volunteers Monday through Friday.
“A few weeks ago, we had the Emory Conference Center culinary team here for three nights, and that was terrific,” said Murphy, who’s fond of whipping gluten-free pasta dishes he swears are as flavorful as the real thing.
He also taps into his hospitality training when it comes to dealing with guests.
“I learned that when most people check in, they’re stressed from traveling, and they want to be met by front desk people who are nice,” he said. “I try to extend the same level of hospitality: I greet them, give them a tour of the house, tell them about restaurants in the area and let them calm down.”
Murphy also does his share of cleanup duty. Each surface of the house is touched once, if not twice, each day.
“And once a room becomes vacant, it gets a hard clean and touch up paint — things I like to do,” he said. “I don’t like mopping floors, but I do what needs to be done three days a week for about four hours.”
But the best part of his time is spent with the guests, he said. “I get to meet people like a 4 1/2-year-old girl who had a heart transplant. She came here after the surgery, and I got to watch her bounce back. It really puts life in perspective for a 70-year-old retired guy. I do feel good when I walk out, even after all that mopping.”
Information about the Atlanta Hospital Hospitality House is online at atlhhh.org.
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