June 23, 2022

An expansion that more than doubles the amount of hospitality housing for patients and families at Avera McKennan has opened.

The addition to Kirby Place offers 14 patient rooms on the Walsh Family Village campus, which is near Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center.

Joe and Jennifer Kirby gave a lead gift to the Home for Hope Campaign to expand and renovate patient and family lodging.

With a 6,500 square-foot addition, this project connected two existing buildings – a welcome center and an inn. Kirby Place now offers a total of 25 rooms with a mix of double queen bed rooms, single queen and rooms with a queen and a twin to accommodate families.

The hotel-like rooms also include other amenities, including refrigerators, TVs, recliners, handicap-accessible bathrooms and spacious closets. Guests have access to shared kitchen and laundry space.

As part of the renovation, existing guest rooms and shared space were updated with new paint, furnishings and floor coverings. The Walsh Family Village was developed in 2008. It is often at full capacity, serving about 7,000 people each year.

Jennifer Kirby benefited from a similar hospitality house as her mom, Jacquelyn Frerichs, underwent cancer treatment in another community, and she and her husband wanted to help provide similar accommodations in Sioux Falls.

“I witnessed first-hand the comfort and community that housing gives out-of-town patients during a hard time in their lives. I will forever be grateful for that experience. We are thrilled to be able to give that gift to more people,” she said.

To be eligible to stay at Kirby Place, patients or families must live farther than 30 miles from Sioux Falls and be referred by a hospital social worker.

Raising a total of $3.4 million, the Home for Hope Campaign was supported by:

• 428 individuals, couples, families and businesses from 14 states.
• 182 Avera employee supporters who donated more than $500,000.
• 10 gifts of $100,000 or more.
• 44 gifts of $10,000 to $99,000.

“We are grateful for every act of generosity. In fact, our most common gift amount was $50,” said Dzenan Berberovic, chief philanthropy officer for Avera. “All who contributed are making a lasting difference in the lives of those we serve.”