Houston’s newly unveiled Hope Lodge (cancer.org) provides a safe space for those in need.
The facility provides myriad offerings including a community of caregivers to give support and comfort.
“We build them in the spirit of the neighborhood we are in,” shares Jeff Fehlis, executive vice president of the American Cancer Society’s South Region. “We will have people traveling from all over the world to stay here.” Having just recently opened its doors, the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Hope Lodge provides temporary lodging for cancer patients—gratis. Let’s let that just sink in. Everyone has most likely been touched by this disease, and the last thing that you want to do is add additional worry, stress and an ever-evolving pile of bills. This is a safe haven for those in need. “I lost my mother to breast cancer,” notes Fehlis. “When this position and opportunity presented itself, it felt like a calling.” With Fehlis at the helm, the Houston Hope Lodge is the nation’s largest of its kind. The $30 million facility features a library, shared living rooms, dining areas and daily access to food and fresh bedding. This is truly what hope looks like—which is precisely what people need.
Jeff Fehlis
“WE WILL HAVE PEOPLE TRAVELING FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO STAY HERE.” –JEFF FEHLIS, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY’S SOUTH REGION
Photography by: MICHELLE WATSON