Malachi House
Running on Love and Volunteers
With boxes of stashed chocolates and a soulful demeanor, Rosa, a resident at Malachi House, inspires with her dignity, strength and grace. For the past twenty years, Rosa and thousands of other terminally ill people with little or no financial resources and no health insurance have been blessed to call Malachi House "home." That home is the realized vision of Father Paul Hritz, who invited people in off the streets and out from under bridges to live their final stages of life surrounded by support, comfort and peace. Malachi House still flourishes today with a Christian sense of ministry, having tended to 1,229 people who have no able or willing caregiver and nowhere else to go. The house is unique because it doesn't accept money from residents, nor does it receive government funding; resources come solely through donations from individuals and organizations like the Saint Luke's Foundation.
A healthy community thrives on giving to those in need no matter their stage in life, and from the beginning, Malachi House has been running on love and volunteers. Mary Kay Stahley, Administrator, who has been with the house for twelve years, states, "I am proud of everyone who gives tirelessly and makes this house what it is. We are all very lucky to be called to this ministry." This ongoing commitment is embodied through volunteers offering more than 800 hours of time each month to cook, clean, laugh, listen and love.