Whenever I enter our Believe In Tomorrow Children’s Hospital or Respite Housing facilities, I am struck by how precious time can be for families struggling with a child’s life-threatening illness. Within our Believe In Tomorrow Houses, time can take on a different perspective. I am sure that, for many of our families, minutes can often seem like hours as they struggle through the difficult events of life.  And at other times, days can pass by in a blur of activity and emotion. It is an upside-down world that serves as a reminder that nothing should ever be taken for granted.

For me, being in a Believe In Tomorrow Respite or Hospital House stirs a deep sense of urgency in the sense that we need to do so much more. It is hard to see the families that we serve and not feel the need to continue to expand and improve our services as rapidly as possible, in order to provide for even more families in need. In a very real way, our Believe In Tomorrow programs provide the gift of time to families when they need it the most. For Believe In Tomorrow, that assistance is most often in the form of providing extraordinary housing services that help keep families together during their child’s medical crisis. For families that are grasping for moments of time, we should move heaven and earth to assist them.

This year we are embarking on the construction of two new respite housing facilities: the Believe In Tomorrow House at Deep Creek and the Believe In Tomorrow Cottage By The Sea. Both houses will be able to accommodate larger families and will prioritize our military pediatric families. For families who have a child with a short life expectancy, these new houses will be able to accommodate grandparents or perhaps a best friend during their respite stay. The Believe In Tomorrow House at Deep Creek will be located next to our Believe In Tomorrow House on Wisp Mountain on a large parcel of property that we acquired last year. The Believe In Tomorrow Cottage By The Sea will be located within several feet of our Believe In Tomorrow House By The Sea in Ocean City Maryland. To complete these projects, we will be utilizing an array of donated materials and skilled volunteer labor, and I hope you will consider joining this effort by participating or sharing this information with others who may participate.

Because we all know in our hearts that time can be a fleeting element, let’s get these new Believe In Tomorrow Houses completed and start working on the next locations. And here is something interesting to think about: We have all heard stories that at the last moments of life your memories flash through your mind. What a rewarding experience that could be if we spent some time each day to make a positive difference in the lives of those who most need our help. If you are interested in participating in these projects please send me an email at bmorrison@believeintomorrow.org, or call me at 410-744-1032.