LilyPads Housing is a non-profit organization bringing housing options and holistic support to families whose children are receiving treatment at UVA Children’s Hospital. The non-profit organization provides free, short-term housing in volunteer host homes and donated apartments for out-of-town families in a compassionate, ‘home away from home’ experience. Their vital, generous work serving the community made LilyPads the first recipient of the CharlottesvilleFamily Doing Good Marketing Grant.
The LilyPads Story
LilyPads was founded by Jen Koym, whose daughter, Lily, was diagnosed with a rare congenital heart defect just four months after birth. The family began by seeking treatment at UVA Children’s Hospital, but soon Lily’s care plan required them to temporarily relocate to Boston. There, they encountered the challenge of finding short-term housing that they could afford. The Koyms were fortunate that Hospitality Homes, a Boston organization, was able to connect them with a volunteer host who housed them for the weeks that they needed to be in Boston.
When they returned to Charlottesville to continue Lily’s care, the Koyms discovered the many other families who were facing the same struggle to find affordable temporary housing while seeking life-saving care for their children. The idea for LilyPads was born and, in 2019, the organization opened the door to its first family.
“For a lot of people who have never done a semester abroad, hosted a foreign exchange student, or taken in touring cyclist, it’s a strange notion to invite a stranger into your home,” says founder Jen Koym. “We had to figure out a way to show our volunteer hosts and guests how thoroughly we vet all of our participants and just how beautiful and rewarding an opportunity like this can be.”
Helping Families In Charlottesville
In 2023 alone, LilyPads provided UVA Hospital families with 521 nights of free lodging, saving them over $78,000 in hotel costs. Nearly 90% of these families didn’t qualify for other housing assistance and would have had to pay out-of-pocket for their stay without LilyPads’s help. More than 60% of them live more than 100 miles away from Charlottesville.
LilyPads also knows that families face more challenges than just housing while their children are receiving treatment. That’s why they also provide holistic support, including childcare, groceries, toiletries, meals, activities for siblings, transportation, and more. The organization serves families regardless of age, diagnosis, race, ethnicity, citizenship, religion, income level, gender identity, sexual orientation, or ability, working tirelessly to help families access the vital care their children need.
Hosting With LilyPads Housing
LilyPads faced setbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic, losing many of their host families and other volunteers as members of the community relocated or experienced other life changes. “Currently, we often have more need for housing than we have host homes,” says Koym. But she is eager to regrow their network and show new hosts how life-changing the experience can be.
“Many people assume that hosting is very rigid and difficult, but it is actually super flexible. Our hosts dictate everything about when and how they host,” Koym explains. “We strive to make hosting as easy as possible.”
LilyPads also offers more volunteer opportunities than just hosting. The team cooks and delivers meals to families, runs errands, delivers Care Cart supplies to inpatient families while they receive treatment, and participates in outreach events to share the LilyPads mission with the Charlottesville community.
“Our current volunteers are an amazing group of people, and we have some fun and rewarding volunteer opportunities,” says Koym. “We hope more community members will join us!”
How Can I Get In Touch?
You can contact LilyPads through their website to find out about volunteer opportunities or to donate. If you are looking for housing while your child receives treatment at UVA Health, contact the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital Housing Collaborative.