JoeAnna's House begins

Short-term housing for out-of-town families at Kelowna General Hospital has been needed for years, and as of Tuesday, it's one step closer to becoming a reality.

Ground was officially broken Tuesday morning at the parking lot on the southeast corner of Royal Avenue and Abbott Street, the future home of JoeAnna's House.

The 20-room building will be a “home away from home” for people travelling to KGH for care, similar to the Ronald McDonald House in Vancouver.

“The principle group we'll probably be looking to support is families with a premature baby,” said Doug Rankmore, CEO of the KGH Foundation.

One in four people receiving care at KGH at any given time are not from Kelowna, and at this time, they must find their own lodging. This can be difficult, and expensive, especially in the summer months.

Rankmore says families will be charged a small fee, somewhere around $20 per night, to stay at JoeAnna's House.

Over the past year, the KGH Foundation has raised millions of dollars through donors in the community.

“We're not at our goal yet, we have a goal of $8 million, but that's just our initial goal,” said Doug Rankmore, CEO of the KGH Foundation. “We'll let the community know when we've reached that first mark, but the important thing to remember is we'll be looking for the community to support JoeAnna's House ongoing.”

Upon completion, the KGH Foundation will run JoeAnna's House. Rankmore says the small nightly fee will not cover operating costs, and they'll be looking for additional financial support “in perpetuity.”

While an exact timeline of completion has not been locked down, Rankmore says he hopes to see the doors open before Christmas 2019.