American Cancer Society Announces Campaign for Hope Lodge Facility in San Antonio thanks to $11M Gift by Methodist Healthcare Ministries
On March 29, 2023, the American Cancer Society and Methodist Healthcare System announced plans for a Hope Lodge facility in San Antonio. The Hope Lodge community will provide free, temporary lodging for people facing cancer and their caregivers when seeking treatment at one of South Texas’s premier medical centers. An $11,000,000 gift from Methodist Healthcare Ministries kicked off the capital campaign. In recognition of this, the facility has been named the American Cancer Society Methodist Healthcare Ministries Hope Lodge.
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“This $11 million gift from Methodist Healthcare Ministries is one of the largest single gifts to the Hope Lodge program in its history," said Jeff Fehlis ,executive vice president of the American Cancer Society. "And thanks to their generosity, we will soon be able to provide a free ‘home away from home’ for cancer patients, allowing them to focus on what’s most important – getting well.”
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Each year, an estimated 9,000 Cancer patients travel to receive potentially life-saving cancer treatment in San Antonio. Some patients spend days, weeks, even months away from home. The emotional and financial toll of the loss of income, medical bills, hotel rooms and dining out can be staggering.
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The Hope Lodge facility is expected to provide up to 14,600 nights of free lodging annually for cancer patients traveling to South Texas for cancer-related appointments. The facility will include 40 private guest suites and all the comforts of home including living spaces, communal kitchens and dining areas, library with free Wi-Fi, access to fresh linens daily, spaces for recreation and contemplation, and free transportation to and from local cancer centers.
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“As a cancer survivor myself, I know first-hand how life-changing hearing the word ‘cancer’ can be and how challenging the path is through treatment and recovery,” said Jaime Wesolowski , president & CEO of Methodist Healthcare Ministries. “That’s why building a Hope Lodge facility in San Antonio became my top priority as it will become a place where generations to come can find peace, healing, and rest amidst a scary season of life.“
The American Cancer Society’s capital campaign, led by Charles Leddy , CEO of Presidian Hotels & Resorts Hotels and Resorts, and Linda Dozier, CPCM , Contract Management at Lockheed Martin , aims to raise the funds needed for construction of the facility, initial operating costs, and the creation of an endowment to ensure the sustainability of the facility for years to come.
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To donate or to learn more, contact Jessalyn Giacona , director of philanthropy for the American Cancer Society, at [email protected] or visit cancer.org/HopeLodgeSanAntonio.