American Cancer Society Kansas City Hope Lodge: Connecting Patients to World-Class Cancer Care in Kansas City

American Cancer Society Kansas City Hope Lodge started with the leadership of local stakeholders passionate about meeting the needs of cancer patients. They successfully opened Hope Lodge in 2000, 20 years ago, giving cancer patients traveling to Kansas City for treatment a place to rest and heal at no cost. For many, Hope Lodge provides hope for life after cancer. Too often, cancer patients lack the transportation resources and lodging needed to start and complete treatment on time. Kansas City Hope Lodge becomes their transportation and lodging solution. 

“The Kansas City Hope Lodge has made a profound impact for the past 20 years,” said Matt Martinek, executive director for the American Cancer Society’s Kansas City office. “We hear all the time that Hope Lodge is Kansas City’s best-hidden gem. We need to change that message. Hope Lodge is run on donations from the community, and the more the community is aware of how they can help, the more people we can serve for another 20 years.”

Support from volunteers and local companies is critical to the American Cancer Society’s mission of providing free lodging. The Kansas City Hope Lodge staff is committed to creating a nurturing a home-away-from-home for our guests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Kansas City Hope Lodge offers 46 guest rooms and provides fully equipped community kitchens, gathering areas, a community dining room, outdoor spaces, TVs, WIFI access and free laundry rooms stocked with supplies for guests to use. 

Hope Lodge needs help from the community to ensure another 20 years of the Kansas City Hope Lodge. Investing in the 20th birthday celebration will help continue providing patients with access to lifesaving treatment. “The Kansas City Hope Lodge is truly a home-away-from-home for the guests who come to stay. They make life-long friends who are going through the same struggles and issues that come with a cancer diagnosis. These friendships, along with removing the burden of where to stay while receiving treatment, gives our guests hope, and hope can be very powerful,” stated Martinek. 

In the coming years, thousands will be told they have cancer and that their best chance for survival is receiving treatment in Kansas City. Hope Lodge must be here to provide access to that lifesaving treatment. Learn how you can get involved by investing in the celebration, donating supplies or volunteering your time at givinghopeahome.org. ■