St. Andrews Hospitality House

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Las Cruces has a long history of being a welcoming community with a strong lay ministry program. Starting in 1984, a Soup Kitchen was begun. While the St. Andrew’s Soup Kitchen was growing, the need for health care for the clients became evident and St. Luke’s Health Clinic was born. Both of these ministries grew and later became a part of the city-wide Community of Hope campus which provides services and programs to people who are homeless and indigent in our community.
St. Andrew’s has an opportunity to start a new ministry to our community and the surrounding area by creating a Hospitality House. The St Andrew’s Hospitality House will provide housing for out of town families of patients receiving medical services and will be referred by the hospital staff. The House will be non-denominational and available to families in need at no cost. The House will have three bedrooms with private baths able to provide for a family of four. One other bedroom with private bath will be handicapped accessible. There will also be a common kitchen and living room. Laundry facilities are available. Patients also will have peace of mind knowing their families or loved ones are in a supportive environment.
We hope to make a difference in these families’ lives and help them feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. We are committed to nurturing not only these families, but also all of those who give of their time and resources to this project. We want this to be a safe space for all members of these families by offering them Christian care, concern, and a welcoming spirit.
The idea of this house started about three years ago with a member of St. Andrew’s who stayed in a hospitality house in Longview, Texas while a relative was receiving treatment in a local hospital. Seeing how the house helped her in a difficult time inspired her to start a similar program at St. Andrew’s. When a property came available next to the church, she was fortunate enough to have the resources available to buy the property for the church and the dream is in the process of becoming a reality.
A ground breaking ceremony was held on September 12, 2015. We have a very capable group of parishioners who have spearheaded this project and have been willing to put in sweat equity to build this house. Other members of the parish have made donations and also procured donations from the community. We continue to have fundraisers and write grants to be able to offer this opportunity to families in need.
Hospital administrators have assured us that there is a great need for this service. Having a patient’s family as part of the medical team also reinforces the communication and healing of the individual. Hospitality Houses are at the forefront of intervention for health and wholeness.