A REGION UNITED FOR JOEANNA’S HOUSE

Every day, families from across the Southern Interior arrive in Kelowna under the most stressful of circumstances, seeking urgent medical care for a loved one. For them, JoeAnna’s House is more than just a place to stay; it’s a sanctuary of comfort, connection, and care; a door held open when they need it most. As the walls of JoeAnna’s House begin to expand, so too does the spirit of community that surrounds it.

Since first opening its doors in 2019, JoeAnna’s House has provided over 27,000 nights of care to more than 1,000 families. Owned and operated by the KGH Foundation, the house was built thanks to the extraordinary legacy of Joe and Anna Huber, founders of Prestige Hotels & Resorts, and the generous donors who believed in their vision. Built on philanthropy, and sustained entirely through community support, JoeAnna’s House exists to keep families close during life’s most challenging moments.

But demand has far exceeded capacity. With over 950 families turned away last year, the urgency to expand is clear. That’s why the KGH Foundation has committed to adding 10 more rooms, a 50% increase, ensuring we never have to close the door on families in need.

The goal: to raise $5.3 million to ensure more people can stay close to care, and close to family when it matters most.

Leading this effort is the JoeAnna’s House Build Team: Chuck Cullen, Tim Spiegel, and Terry Brown, along with KGH Foundation staff.

Now, the Community Cabinet has stepped in to volunteer their time and help with fundraising. This 14-member team of passionate, local leaders from across sectors; business, philanthropy, healthcare, and tourism, bring a unique perspective and a shared purpose to help more families in crisis find a place to rest, recover, and regroup.

“JoeAnna’s House has always been the community’s house, built and sustained by generosity,” says Carly Malchuk, Director of Community Engagement. “This expansion is only possible because of community champions like our Cabinet members, who are using their voices and networks to open even more doors.”

For some, the project hits close to home.

“To see JoeAnna’s House grow is incredibly meaningful,” says Chuck Cullen, a returning Cabinet member and the original build’s Project Manager. “It’s more than a build, it’s community compassion in action.”

While JoeAnna’s House stands in Kelowna, its impact spans the entire region. Over 25% of patients at KGH come from outside the Central Okanagan. More then 80% of JoeAnna’s House guests are from the BC Interior: Kootenays (41%), Thompson Cariboo Shuswap (22%), and the North and South Okanagan (20%). Families arrive for a wide range of urgent medical reasons including (but not limited to) cardiac events, stroke, pediatric care, cancer treatments, and trauma. JoeAnna’s House becomes their home away from home.

Recognizing this shared need, four regional hospital foundations have also stepped forward in support: the East Kootenay Foundation for Health, Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital Foundation, South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation, and the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation. Together, they are helping to fundraise, increase awareness, and affirm that JoeAnna’s House is a critical extension of care for families from every corner of the Interior.

This isn’t just a Kelowna initiative, it’s a regional collaboration, one rooted in unity, compassion, and a belief that health care doesn’t stop at city limits. When families from across the Southern Interior stay at JoeAnna’s House, it becomes their home too. This expansion is a shared investment in compassion, and regional health equity.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, community and our regional foundation partners, we’ve taken the first bold steps toward expansion. But to reach our $5.3 million goal, we will need to enlist all our neighbour’s support.

Join us in opening the door for more families, because no one should have to face a medical crisis alone and far from home.