Chesed 24/7 Inaugurates Hospitality Room at the New Valley Hospital facility in Paramus

A special inauguration event was held at the newly opened Valley Hospital campus in Paramus, New Jersey, marking the launch of a Chesed 24/7 Hospitality Room at this new location. The gathering brought together hospital leadership, Chesed 24/7 staff and volunteers, community liaisons, and representatives from Rockland Hatzoloh, reflecting a growing collaboration focused on improving the experience of Jewish patients receiving care at the facility and supporting patients and families during medical stays.

The new hospitality room provides kosher food, beverages, seating, and essential supplies, offering families a calm, private space within the hospital environment. Accessible around the clock, including Shabbos and Yom Tov, the room ensures that families facing medical challenges have practical support and a sense of normalcy during difficult moments.

Chesed 24/7 Marks New Chapter at The Valley Hospital with Special Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

The inauguration ceremony of the Valley Hospital Chesed hospitality room took place in early 2025, bringing together staff, volunteers, donors, and hospital administrators to celebrate a longstanding hospital partnership that has quietly served thousands of families. Valley Hospital, located in Paramus, New Jersey, is a major medical center serving Bergen County and surrounding communities with a reputation for high-quality medical services and compassionate care.

Chesed 24/7 has maintained a dedicated hospitality room on the hospital campus, a space stocked with kosher food, beverages, seating, and basic supplies that families can access 24/7 during medical stays. The centerpiece of the ceremony was a kviat mezuzah, the formal affixing of a mezuzah to the doorpost of the Chesed room. The kviat mezuzah at Valley Hospital was performed with the appropriate blessings, attended by Chaplain Mason Jenkins, hospital leadership, Chesed 24/7 staff, and community members.

A New Hospital, A New Chapter

The Valley Hospital officially opened its new state-of-the-art campus on April 14, 2024, relocating from its longtime location in Ridgewood to a modern facility at 4 Valley Health Plaza in Paramus. The hospital is a 370-bed, acute-care, not-for-profit medical center serving Bergen County and surrounding communities, with more than 1,100 physicians and approximately 3,700 employees.

The new campus features single-patient rooms, expanded emergency services, larger operating suites, advanced medical technology, and landscaped grounds designed to enhance healing and comfort. Its proximity to Rockland County has made it an increasingly utilized destination for patients transported by Hatzoloh, contributing to the strong relationship between community emergency services and hospital staff.

What Services Does Chesed 24/7 Provide at Valley Hospital?

The Chesed 24/7 Hospitality Room at Valley Hospital offers:

• Kosher food and drinks — including snacks, dairy and pareve items, and hot beverages
• Seating and rest space — a quiet area separate from public waiting rooms
• Basic supplies — disposable utensils, plates, and necessities
• 24/7 accessibility — open at all hours without registration or cost

The room is maintained through a coordinated effort between Chesed 24/7 staff, volunteers from surrounding communities, donor support, and hospital facilities teams. Their work ensures that when a family arrives at Valley Hospital late at night or on Shabbos, the room is ready, stocked with fresh food, clean dishes, and a sense of normalcy.

The room is accessible 24/7, including Shabbos and Yom Tov, and is maintained by a combination of Chesed 24/7 staff and local volunteers. Families do not need to register in advance or pay a fee: they simply need to locate the room and use what they need. Those who wish to learn more about accessing the room can visit the dedicated Valley Hospital hospitality room page.

Strengthening Community-Hospital Partnership

In recent months, Rockland Hatzoloh has increasingly transported patients to Valley Hospital, citing the facility’s high level of care and service. The addition of the Chesed 24/7 room further enhances the patient experience by addressing cultural and religious needs that hospitals typically cannot provide directly.

Hospital leadership expressed appreciation for the partnership, recognizing that the hospitality room fills an important gap by supporting families emotionally, spiritually, and practically during hospitalizations.

Part of a Broader Mission

The Valley Hospital hospitality room is one component of Chesed 24/7’s larger network of services, which includes hospital hospitality spaces, apartments for long-term medical stays, meal programs, transportation assistance, medical supply lending, and community medicine chests. Each service is designed to reduce logistical burdens so families can focus on caring for loved ones.

Supporting the Work

All Chesed 24/7 services are provided at no cost to families and are funded through donations and volunteer efforts. Community involvement — whether through sponsorship, volunteering, or advocacy — plays a critical role in sustaining operations and expanding support to additional hospitals and regions.

The inauguration at Valley Hospital represents not only the opening of a new room, but the continuation of a mission: ensuring that when families face medical challenges, they are never alone.

These volunteers are part of a network of more than 2,000 individuals who support Chesed 24/7's operations across multiple locations. Their work ensures that when a family arrives at Valley Hospital late at night or on Shabbos, the room is ready, stocked with fresh food, clean dishes, and a sense of normalcy.

Hospitality Rooms: A Model That Works

The concept of modern hospital hospitality rooms has evolved significantly since Chesed 24/7 began its work. Early rooms were often makeshift spaces, informally arranged and inconsistently stocked. Over time, Chesed 24/7 developed a standardized model that balances operational efficiency with family dignity. Today's hospitality rooms feature:

• Reliable, consistent stocking schedules
• Professional cleaning and maintenance
• Coordination with hospital security and facilities
• Culturally sensitive design (including separate spaces for men and women where feasible)
• Integration with broader Chesed 24/7 services, such as Shabbos in a Box and meal delivery

This model has been replicated across dozens of hospitals, but the Valley Hospital room remains one of the longest-running examples. Its three-decade track record demonstrates that these spaces are not a luxury, they are a necessity for families navigating the intersection of serious illness and religious observance.

How This Fits Into Chesed 24/7's Larger Mission

The Valley Hospital Chesed room is one component of a much broader infrastructure. Chesed 24/7 operates hospitality rooms at multiple hospitals, furnished apartments for long-term stays, transportation services, meal preparation operations, medical supply lending, and medicine chests located throughout the community. Each service addresses a specific pain point:

• Hospitality rooms provide immediate, on-site relief for families during hospital stays
• Apartments offer housing for families facing weeks or months of treatment
• Meals ensure families don't have to cook or shop while managing medical crises
• Transportation removes logistical barriers for patients and caregivers without vehicles
• Medical supplies lend equipment that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive

The inauguration at Valley Hospital's new Paramus location reflects Chesed 24/7's commitment to long-term presence. Families can rely on the organization because it has been there, not just during high-profile campaigns, but quietly, day in and day out, for three decades.

For those interested in learning more about Chesed 24/7's history and evolution, the organizational story page provides additional context.

Recognition and Gratitude

The ceremony included formal recognition of several individuals and groups who have sustained the Valley Hospital partnership:

• Long-term volunteers who have coordinated weekly food deliveries for over a decade
• Donor families who have sponsored room renovations, equipment upgrades, and holiday supplies
• Hospital staff who have advocated for the Chesed room's presence and facilitated its operations
• Chesed 24/7 leadership who have managed logistics, fundraising, and community outreach

This recognition was handled modestly, in keeping with the organization's culture. No individual was singled out for prolonged praise: instead, the focus remained on collective effort and shared mission.

What Comes Next

Chesed 24/7 continues to expand its network of hospital hospitality spaces and refine its operations. Demand for services remains high; families often travel significant distances for care, making hospitality rooms and nearby apartments essential.

The Valley Hospital Chesed room will continue operating as it has, stocked daily, available around the clock, and maintained by a network of staff and volunteers. The mezuzah on the doorpost now serves as a visible marker of the room's identity and purpose, a reminder to every family who enters that they are not alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What services does the Chesed 24/7 room at Valley Hospital provide?

The Valley Hospital Chesed room offers kosher food and beverages, seating and rest areas, basic kitchen supplies, and a calm, private environment. The room is accessible 24/7, including Shabbos and Yom Tov, and families can use it at no cost without registration.

What is a kviat mezuzah ceremony and why is it significant?

A kviat mezuzah ceremony is the formal placement of a mezuzah on a doorpost, accompanied by blessings. At Valley Hospital, it sanctified the Chesed room as a Jewish space, invoking Hashem's presence and transforming it into a place where families feel at home during medical crises.

How can I support the Valley Hospital Chesed room operations?

You can support the Chesed room through donations that fund daily operations like food, supplies, and maintenance, or by volunteering for food preparation, supply packaging, and logistics coordination. All services are provided to families at no cost.

Who maintains hospital hospitality rooms like the one at Valley Hospital?

Hospital hospitality rooms are maintained through coordinated efforts involving full-time Chesed 24/7 staff, volunteer groups from local communities, donor sponsorships, and hospital facilities teams. This model combines professional oversight with grassroots community involvement for sustainability.

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