American Cancer Society Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Hope Lodge — Decatur, GA
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Atlanta, Ga Hope Lodge Exterior
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Atlanta, Ga Hope Lodge Lobby
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Atlanta, Ga Hope Lodge Gathering Area
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Atlanta, Ga Hope Lodge Kitchen
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Atlanta, Ga Hope Lodge Dining Room
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Atlanta, Ga Hope Lodge Guest Suite
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Atlanta, Ga Hope Lodge Guest Suite
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Atlanta, Ga Hope Lodge Healing Garden
Our History
The American Cancer Society Hope Lodge program provides a free home away from home for cancer patients and their caregivers. More than just a roof over their heads, it’s a nurturing community that helps patients access the care they need. Each Hope Lodge community offers a supportive, homelike environment where guests can share a meal, join in the evening’s activities, or unwind in their own private room. Patients staying at a Hope Lodge must be in active cancer treatment and permanently reside more than 40 miles away from their cancer treatment center.
Established in 1970, the Charleston, SC Hope Lodge was the first facility of its kind in the country for cancer patients and caregivers. The concept came from Margot Freudenberg, a leader in the Charleston medical and business communities, who saw a similar facility while traveling through Australia and New Zealand with President Eisenhower’s People to People Ambassador Program. After her own family was touched by cancer, Margot was determined to establish the very first Hope Lodge community in Charleston. Now a nationwide program of the American Cancer Society, over 30 Hope Lodge facilities in the United States and Puerto Rico serve patients and caregivers from all over the world.
Actively involved in the Hope Lodge program until she was 105, Margot was the longest-serving American Cancer Society volunteer to date. Her attitude of gratitude, despite being forced from her home during the Nazi occupation of Germany, still inspires us today. Her legacy of grace, giving, and service live on through our wonderful Hope Lodge volunteers.
About This Hope Lodge
The American Cancer Society Hope Lodge in Atlanta, which opened in 1998 and renovated in 2021, offers 57 guest rooms located near treatment centers in the area.
Each Hope Lodge community offers:
- A supportive environment for patients in cancer treatment and their caregivers
- Close proximity to local cancer treatment centers
- Private guest rooms and bathrooms
- Fully equipped community kitchens for food storage and preparation
- Gathering areas/great rooms and community dining rooms
- Free laundry rooms stocked with supplies
- Outdoor, reflection, or meditation spaces
- A library and/or resource rooms
- TVs and computer access
- Dedicated volunteers helping to ensure a comfortable stay for our guests and frequently cook/provide meals
- Committed staff members providing a nurturing and safe environment for guests
Staff and Volunteers
The Hope Lodge staff are committed to providing a nurturing home away from home for our guests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Support from volunteers and local organizations is critical to the American Cancer Society’s mission of providing free lodging to cancer patients and their caregivers. Learn more about volunteer opportunities at a Hope Lodge community near you.
Being a Hope Lodge guest is a courtesy extended at the sole discretion of the American Cancer Society. All individuals who meet Hope Lodge eligibility requirements will be welcomed regardless of race, creed, citizenship, disability, gender, color, ethnic heritage, veteran status, economic status, or sexual orientation.