“I love the idea of donating half the fee to a charity and feel comfort that there’s a third party involved collecting my deposit. We want to celebrate the Games and have a great time, and knowing we’re helping give back to the host city will make it that much more memorable.”
–Andrea Clements, Calgary visitor
2010 Olympic accommodation website offers a legacy for future Games
February 24, 2010
VANCOUVER, BC – Home For The Games, a first-of-its kind Olympic accommodation website with a charitable twist, says the innovative concept can serve as a model for future host cities. Through homeforthegames.com, citizens can host Games visitors from around the world, with proceeds going to charities tackling homelessness.
“We’re creating a win-win situation by harnessing the energy of the Olympics to foster friendship, generosity and a cultural exchange while giving back to the community. We’re providing more affordable, socially conscious accommodation and the response we’ve received from hosts and visitors proves it can be done. We’ve raised $50,000 through home stay fees to date,” said Charles Montgomery, founder of Home For The Games.
Home For The Games is a unique non-profit web-based system that matches 2010 Winter Games visitors with Metro Vancouver hosts for short-term home stays, with half of the nightly fee directed to charitable organizations – Streetohome Foundation and Covenant House Vancouver.
“The program rewards generosity,” said Montgomery. “There’s no fee to list or book a room on the Home For The Games website. Hosts set their own rates, although we encourage them to set more affordable fees, and they receive a tax receipt for the portion of the home stay fee that goes to charity.”
Home For The Games has been received positively by Metro Vancouver citizens, the City of Vancouver and visitors from across Canada, the U.S. and Europe. Vancouver City Council endorsed the efforts of Home For The Games by passing a motion of support and the organization is referenced on the city’s website.
“We’re creating a legacy of a different sort: opportunities for people to share an unforgettable Olympic experience with guests from around the world while earning modest rental income and helping those less fortunate. This concept has never been done and we’re encouraging future Olympic host cities to replicate the idea. Now that we've proved the model works, we’d like help people replicate the concept in other Olympic host cities,” said Montgomery.
To learn more about Home For The Games, visit www.homeforthegames.com
