Welcome Home of Chattanooga has opened its second home at Quiet Creek Trail to provide shelter and support for people needing cancer treatment.
The nonprofit has been expanding and recently moved from a rented home in the Brainerd area to a 4.7-acre property in East Chattanooga. The new space has three homes and by the end of 2022, 10 beds will be available, which will double the number of people served. Seven bedrooms are currently available on the property. The newly renovated home is three-bedrooms with a shared kitchen, living room and outdoor space.
Executive Director Sherry Campbell says that the original mission of end-of-life hospice care continues at Welcome Home, but the second home provides shelter and support for people needing cancer treatment in hopes of allowing patients to receive adequate medical care before hospice is needed.
“We noticed that some of the people needing shelter for hospice were young and the lack of shelter prevented them from receiving needed cancer treatment. Not having a place to live is a major obstacle for patients who need life-saving therapy. That’s why we added our cancer respite home. We hope to intervene sooner so that people are not dying prematurely due to lack of treatment."
Welcome Home of Chattanooga is in the second phase of its expansion project, with work about to begin on the third home on the property. A grant from The Bobby Stone Foundation helped fund the renovations of the second home. The entire second phase will cost about $1.5 million, which includes the renovation of two homes and major infrastructure improvements. One million has been raised toward this goal, with construction continuing throughout 2022.
Many volunteers help cancer patients get to and from their appointments. If you would like to
volunteer to be part of the Welcome Home of Chattanooga’s “Go-Go Club,” you can call 423-355-
5842. If you are interested in learning more about the expansion, visit
welcomehomeofchattanooga.org.