Philoxenia means "love of the stranger." Philoxenia Charities takes seriously the words of the Heavenly King in the Gospel of Matthew:

"I was a stranger, and you invited me in ... I was sick and you looked after me."

Whatever we for the least of these, we do it unto our Heavenly King, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our purpose is to be a place of refuge, specifically from the fierce challenges of serious medical diagnoses and the financial burdens that often accompany them, for patients visiting our city for medical treatment. When we serve these guests, we believe that Christ Himself has come to dwell among us.

Our Service

We offer free lodging to patients of the Mayo Clinic who are facing serious medical diagnoses or undergoing major surgeries. We provide this refuge for up to six weeks of stay, completely free. We also help lower-income guests with food or other resources.

Why We're Unique

We do not discriminate against or favor one class of guest over another, and we have welcomed guests internationally from Venezuela, Albania, Bulgaria, Russia, Greece, Ukraine, Iran, Cyprus, and more.

Meeting a Need

Every year, over 1.3M patients visit the Mayo Clinic and receive expert care. These patients often spend thousands of dollars to stay in hotels over sometimes many months of treatment. We shelter our guests from the financial burdens that may come with their stay by providing them with a place of refuge.

Meet the Board