Credit Union Donates $25,000 to David's House
May 22, 2013
Portsmouth, NH �Representatives from Service Credit Union were on hand recently to present a $25,000 contribution to Davids House in Lebanon, N.H., as part of the Keeping Davids Promise campaign.� David's House provides a home-away-from-home and support for the families of children receiving treatment at the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. The campaign focuses on adding four additional bedrooms, building an endowment and securing annual, operational support.
"Davids House is truly appreciative of the generosity of Service Credit Union and its commitment to the Lebanon and Hanover communities. We are an independent non-profit organization and rely on the support of such organizations such as Service Credit Union to keep our doors open every day to families who need housing during their childs hospitalization," says Dawn Stanhope, Davids House Executive Director.
Davids House was founded in the memory of a young boy named David Cyr who passed away at the age of five from leukemia. During Davids frequent visits to the childrens hospital, at that time in Hanover, NH, his father, Dick, met many parents who slept in their cars or in chairs in their childs hospital room, unable to afford any length of stay at a nearby hotel and unwilling to leave their childs side. Likewise, each time David was discharged, he begged his parents to take the other kids in the pediatric departments with them to their safe, comfortable home in nearby Vermont. David passed away on September 8, 1984 and within a week, the Cyrs and their friends and family were raising money for Davids House. Davids own $300.78 in birthday money and spare change became the seed money of this home-away-from-home, and on January 20, 1986, Davids House in Lebanon opened its doors.
"This donation will help Davids House to continue providing a safe and comfortable environment during a difficult time for families," says Gordon Simmons, President/CEO of Service Credit Union.� "We are pleased to provide this donation to Davids House and help the Lebanon community where we have two branches. Davids House offers vital assistance to parents and family members whose only wish is to remain close to their loved ones."
Since the doors of David's House opened, over 12,000 families have called it their home-away-from-home. Countless others have used the house on a day-guest basis--for a shower, a nap, a meal, or any other service they provide apart from an overnight room. In the last five years, 921 room requests were denied. The Keeping Davids Promise campaign will remedy that issue.