Leslie and Brian Mucahy know the hardship of unemployment all too well: Brian lost his middle-management job during the recession of the early 1990s.

Now they run a B&B in Vermont and wanted to offer couples coping with job loss a little respite. So, they’re giving away free two-night stays at the Rabbit Hill Innin Lower Waterford.

“[W]e are tired of all the negative news!” the couple wrote on their Web site. “As unemployment rates skyrocket, we asked ourselves: ‘How can we make a difference?’ We can’t change the economic climate but we can soothe the souls of others who suddenly find themselves caught up in the nightmare of job loss.”

To enter, couples must be unemployed for at least six months and write a one-page letter to the Inn — by email or snail mail(click link and scroll down the page for address)— telling of their hardship.

The prize package includes two nights at the inn, one free dinner for two, candle-lit breakfast every morning, tea and pastries every afternoon — and "a good old-fashioned rabbits' foot keychain for good luck!"

They started the contest earlier this year but got such an overwhelming response, they've extended it through next spring.

The Inn sits on 15 acres of countryside in the “time-forgotten village” of Lower Waterford, according to the Web site, with views of the White Mountains. There are plenty of hiking and snowshoeing trails (those are free sports), plus jacuzzis and fireplaces to help couples relax and forget their troubles.

“We know firsthand the challenges of being unemployed,” the Mucahys said. “We remember the intensity of that stress and its effects on a relationship … a relaxing getaway is needed now more than ever.”

They’ll choose at least one couple per month — sometimes two — through April 2010. Though all applications must be submitted by January 15.

“Hopefully, they leave re-energized, emotionally stronger and ready to conquer the challenge of a job search,” the couple said.

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