Since opening its doors in August 2023, the American Cancer Society Chad Richison Hope Lodge in Oklahoma City has been at near capacity every night. Thanks to the $5 million endowment from Founder, CEO, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Paycom, Chad Richison, in addition to millions more donated dollars from a long list of visionaries, the lodge has been able to provide nearly 1,000 guests/caregivers with over 13,000 lodging nights of complimentary accommodations to patients as far away as California and as near as Texas.
About The American Cancer Society Chad Richison Hope Lodge
Recognizing that many cancer patients have no access to treatment facilities near their homes, the American Cancer Society Chad Richison Hope Lodge was established to help ease the burden off patients who need treatment in and around Oklahoma City.
Available at no cost to patients who meet American Cancer Society criteria, the lodge is served by a number of community volunteers who make it their mission to ensure a peaceful respite for patients in active cancer treatment far from home.
Guests enjoy all the conveniences of home, including 34 comfortable private en-suites, communal rooms with sofas and smart TVs, laundry facilities, a well-equipped fitness room, a library, an outdoor garden and a well-appointed, spacious and modern kitchen with everything needed for food storage and personal meal preparation. During a difficult time in which patients must be away from their families to receive treatment, the Chad Richison Hope Lodge offers a place of hope where patients and their caregivers can focus on treatment and not worry about where they are going to stay.
Even transportation for treatment is taken care of by the program. The lodge is conveniently located near the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, and guests can utilize complimentary transportation to and from their treatment centers.
The Origins Of The American Cancer Society Chad Richison Hope Lodge
The $16.5 million facility is the first of its kind in Oklahoma and is so named in honor of The Richison Family Foundation's benevolence. The American Cancer Society operates Hope Lodges throughout the country and, since 1970, has provided over six million nights of complimentary accommodation to qualifying cancer patients.
The notion of a Hope Lodge in the U.S. came from Ms. Margot Freudenberg, a survivor of the Nazi occupation of Germany, when she and her family were forced from their home. Ms. Freudenberg first learned of the concept of the Hope Lodge during her subsequent travels to Australia and New Zealand with President Eisenhower's People to People Ambassador Program.
When her own family was touched by cancer, she vowed to bring a Hope Lodge to where she lived in Charleston, South Carolina. The Charleston, SC Hope Lodge opened in 1970, and Ms. Freudenberg was actively involved in the program as an American Cancer Society volunteer until her passing at age 105.
A Beacon Of Hope In Oklahoma City
The American Cancer Society Chad Richison Hope Lodge serves as a beacon of hope to all cancer patients. Asking nothing in return, the lodge welcomes patients from the entire nation, providing safe, attractive living accommodations in a warm and welcoming environment. To learn more about ways to get involved or to donate to the Hope Lodge program, visit the American Cancer Society.
