Frequently Asked Questions

Admission to the House for an overnight stay requires a referral by staff from the treating facility. Ask the receptionist. She/he will refer you to the appropriate person for assistance. Your patient must already be admitted for treatment to obtain a referral. You are welcome to visit Pay-It-Forward House if you are checking out a hospital prior to admission, but the referral process will only be done once the patient is in treatment in DeKalb County.

Once you have the completed referral form, you must tour the House in person to make sure you are comfortable with its layout and rules. The volunteer on duty will then either offer you a room or, if the House is full, will work with you to try to find other accommodations in the local community.

No. Plans often change unexpectedly, so rooms are provided on a first-come, first-served basis from the waiting list. This enables us to serve more people. If the House is full, we will work with you to find other accommodations.

Because our mission is to provide respite, stays are limited to three weeks when all of our rooms are occupied. We think this will give you time to settle in, rest up, support the patient's healing and figure out other options. If at the end of your three-week stay, there are no anticipated visits by other guests, we will extend your stay by one-week increments. If other guests are expected, we will discuss other low-cost options available in the community.

Overnight guests are asked to contribute a minimum of $5.00 per night to help cover the operating expenses of Pay-It-Forward House. This small amount does not come close to covering the cost of our operations and many guests actually contribute $20.00 - $40.00 per night.

Volunteers are on duty for tours, check-ins and check-outs from
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon.–Thurs.
11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Fri. & Sat.
Sunday by appointment
Many guests actually check themselves out by following instructions provided in the booklet entitled "A Guide to Your Stay at Pay-It-Forward House."

The Executive Director will call you at the number you provide when you place your name on the list of anticipated visits. She will leave a message giving you until 11:00 a.m. the next day to contact her and confirm that you are coming or turn down the offer. If she does not hear from you by that deadline, the room will be offered to the next person on the list.

You are welcome to put your name back on the waiting list.

If you need to go home to pay bills or attend to other matters during your stay, you may leave your things in your room and be absent for one (1) night. We ask that you NOT take the keys out of town with you; just leave them at the desk. If you choose to leave for longer than one night, you will need to remove your things, so another person can get some rest just like you have. We cannot hold the room for you, but you are welcome to put your name back on the list of anticipated visits if you leave.

Whether your loved one is getting a bath, doing therapy or just sleeping soundly, Pay-It-Forward House is a great place to unwind and recharge. Come enjoy complimentary:

• coffee and soft drinks
• homemade cookies
• couches for taking naps
• books to read
• shower facilities
• and more!

There is no charge for drop-in visitors, but we will happily accept any donation you choose to make.

We would be happy to provide you with towels and toiletry items so you can freshen up if you wish. Just ask the volunteer on duty.

You are welcome to plug in your laptop at the House. There is a wireless network if your machine is so equipped. We also have a computer in the family room from which guests can check their email. Parental controls are installed. Please note that using the computer for pornography or other inappropriate activities is grounds for dismissal from the Pay-It-Forward House and refusal of re-admission.

(If for some reason there is no service at the House, the volunteer on duty can tell you how to get to the Public Library where they will be happy to let you use a computer with internet access.)

Yes! We are a 501(c)3 institution and all donations are gratefully accepted and tax-deductible to the amount allowed by law.