Ep. 2 - Observations & Outlooks

The transcription is about a group of individuals sharing their experiences volunteering at Hope Lodge, a facility for cancer patients run by the American Cancer Society. They discuss their roles and the positive impact they have on the residents. They also interview a former psychology teacher and current resident at Hope Lodge who praises the facility for providing a comfortable and stress-free environment for cancer patients and their families. They encourage others in similar situations to consider staying at Hope Lodge. Overall, the volunteers find their experiences at Hope Lodge to be rewarding and are excited to continue their work there. Hi everyone, and welcome to Aspirations with Hope Lodge. My name is Kaylee Bisher. I am a pre-pharmacy major, and I will be your host for today's episode, Observations and Outlooks. Today, we're going to be talking about our experiences at Hope Lodge and even hear from a member of the community. Let's hear about the rest of our members. Hello, my name is Lindsay Lewis, and I am a kinesiology major. Hello everyone, my name is Bailey Davidson, and I am a kinesiology major. Hi, my name is Faith Stahl, and I'm majoring in human health sciences on the pre-PA track. Great, let's dive into some of our experiences volunteering. So far, my main task has been to help man the front desk and help check in guests, and it's been great talking to people and helping them settle in. Everyone I've talked to has been very grateful for our help and been super sweet towards me and the other volunteers. How has everyone else's time been? That's awesome. Working at the front desk sounds great. In my role at Hope Lodge, I've been actively involved in organizing the food supplies and doing laundry. One memorable event was seeing the joy on the residents' face during a meal provided by a church. All the residents were smiling and laughing and having a great time. Just imagine, after a day of treatments, coming back to a meal that's not just tasty, but also takes away the stress of figuring out what's for dinner. The genuine relief and happiness is what makes our volunteering at Hope Lodge something special. Yeah, as Lindy said, volunteering at Hope Lodge has been a truly rewarding experience. One particular thing that stands out to me is when they have communal meals, seeing all the residents just coming together like one big supportive family is really heartwarming to witness their resilience and positivity as they share their stories, laughter, and some of them even share their favorite recipes. To add a bit more into what Lindy and Bailey mentioned, a specific service example I want to talk about took place on October 31st. On this particular date, there was a fundraising and awareness event that took place at the Hope Lodge. Some people gave speeches, and it was really cool to see it in action because on a previous day when I was there, I had heard the director and other important officials organizing the event. I did my normal routine of laundry and restocking behind the scenes, but while I was in Brandy's office, she was talking with an individual who wanted to host a dinner for those at Hope Lodge. Something really interesting that I got out of that conversation was that when referring to those who stay at Hope Lodge, say guests instead of patients. Brandy's reasoning for this was that Hope Lodge serves the home away from home instead of another place for treatments such as hospitals, but ultimately, I'm really enjoying my time at our service learning organization. Wow! I never realized that. Thanks for the stories. Now, let's get into our interview of this episode, but first, who are we going to be talking to and how do you two know her? Absolutely, Kaylee. We're excited to introduce our special guest, Vanita Caldwell. Vanita holds a special place in my heart because she is not just my former psychology teacher. She also is a current resident at Hope Lodge. I vividly remember those days in her class. Vanita always had a smile on her face and her enthusiasm for teaching was inspiring. She wasn't just about textbooks. She wanted to bring joy to her students and make learning an experience. Yeah, as Luzie said, Vanita is an incredibly strong woman who also happens to be my former high school psychology professor. She really does hold a special place in my heart. She's not just an educator for us, but she's also a mentor and a friend. She really is an inspiration. No matter what comes her way, she faces it head on and makes the best of it. Great. Now, let's get into the interview. Hello. My name is Vanita and I'm currently a cancer patient at the University of Kentucky Marquise Center. I'd like to take a minute to tell you about a wonderful facility that has made a world of difference for me and for my family during this extremely stressful time. Anytime that you have a cancer diagnosis, there is a package of stress that automatically comes with it. And it goes well beyond the disease and the treatment for the disease. And if you live in a rural area where the treatment that you're receiving is several hundred miles away, then the added expense of hotels, gas, food, and all those things can really put a stress on a family, a stress that you don't need to be worried about with the disease and the treatment. And that's where Hope Lodge comes in. Hope Lodge is run by the American Cancer Society and it's basically a hotel for cancer patients. Every patient and a caregiver is given a wonderful private room and bath. If you can't drive to your doctor's appointments, there is a shuttle service available for you. It is free to cancer patients and the caregiver. Hope Lodge has saved my family at least $1,000 a month in hotel bills alone. That in itself is an extreme stress reliever. It's a place where you can come after your treatments to rest and relax and be comfortable. Hope Lodge is comfortable, it's secure, it's safe, and the folks who run the Lexington Hope Lodge are the most kind, considerate, thoughtful people that you could ever deal with. I can't say enough good things about Hope Lodge. If you or someone you know has cancer, talk to your doctor and you're receiving treatment at UK or any of the other hospitals in Lexington, talk to your doctor and have him or her refer you to Hope Lodge. It's a great decision, it's a great place. You will not regret it. Thanks so much. That was great, Benita. Hopefully now you can better understand our roles as volunteers at Hope Lodge and how we are making a difference. We're super excited to continue visiting Hope Lodge and we hope you enjoyed. This was Aspirations of Hope Lodge. Thanks for listening.