Believe In Tomorrow House
on the Bay
One Year and Counting
Pull into the driveway at 617 Bayshore Drive, Unit 44 in Ocean City, Md., and you might think you’re arriving at a typical beach house. But stay awhile, walk out to the back deck, and read the enthusiastic “Thank Yous” scribbled in the guestbook, and you realize this house is anything but ordinary.
The bright orange Believe In Tomorrow front door is the first indication of the unique service the house provides. With the one-year anniversary of the property opening quickly approaching June 28, the colorful rooms and sunny back deck of the House on the Bay already speak volumes about the critically ill children and families who have come to renew their spirits here.
Thanks to the generous donation of the beach house in January 2008 from John and Karen Talbot of Ocean Pines, Md. – in addition to the support of stellar volunteers and the Ocean City community - the house has provided over 400 individual overnight accommodations to almost 100 individuals since its opening.. And, since John Talbot is an army veteran, Believe In Tomorrow dedicated the House on the Bay to its Military Initiative, which prioritizes military families in respite properties.
“We should be cognizant of the fact that their lives are somewhat different than ours as civilians,” said Talbot in an interview with the Pentagon Channel when the house opened last summer. “And having been in the military I can respect - probably a little bit more than one who has not been in – what they go through on a daily basis.”
Of the Navy, Air Force, Army, and Marine Corps families who have stayed at the house since it opened, some came from stations as far as Portugal, in addition to many stationed nearby in Maryland and Virginia.
With the House on the Bay booked full this summer, the numbers of critically ill children and their families who lounge in the house’s bright living room or fish off the back deck in the sparkling bay water will nearly double.
To the Talbots, the community, and the volunteers responsible for renovating the property, along with anyone who supports Believe In Tomorrow’s programs, know this: your donations and efforts are being put to good use. Many families have already created lifetime memories at the House on the Bay, with many more to come.