The Ballston BID is collaborating with local organizations to coordinate free accommodations at the Holiday Inn Arlington at Ballston for essential healthcare workers in the community. Chesapeake Hospitality, which manages the Ballston-based Holiday Inn on North Fairfax, is donating a complimentary block of 50 rooms per day inclusive of cleaning services to provide a safe, comfortable and close-by ‘home base’ to frontline medical staff, their families, and those most vulnerable within the community. First to benefit are Capital Caring Health and Sunrise Senior Living with discussions continuing for MedStar Health and Inova to receive rooms for their medical staff as well.
The Ballston BID and Chesapeake Hospitality recognize that many essential workers in Ballston’s medical community live in cities that are oftentimes over an hour’s drive from Arlington. The Holiday Inn room block was created to lessen the commuting burden and offer a local respite, which allows those working who might be exposed at home to the coronavirus to stay at a safe distance to continue their invaluable work.
“We greatly appreciate our ‘Hospitality heroes’ for supporting our front line caregivers at this time. We are fortunate to serve such a generous community,” said Tom Koutsoumpas, Capital Caring Health’s President and CEO.
Additionally, Chesapeake Hospitality and the BID are also working closely with nonprofit programs Arlington Free Clinic, Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, Arlington County Department of Human Services-Housing Bureau, to provide comfortable, clean rooms to individuals in need of housing.
“We are in daily awe of the selfless work that our medical community and other essential workers are doing to battle this pandemic. We hope the Holiday Inn accommodations alleviate some of the day-to-day stressors of working a long and dangerous shift,” said Catherine Roper, Chief Marketing Officer of the Ballston BID. “Keeping our communities safe and healthy is of our utmost concern and we will continue to brainstorm programs to keep people safe and healthy both mentally and physically, ” added Tina Leone, Chief Executive Officer of the Ballston BID.