Hospice is a haven for Chattanooga’s terminally-ill homeless
Welcome Home Volunteer
› What do you do for relaxation/to beat stress:
I enjoy walking in one of the nearby parks where there are many trees. I also attend yoga about four times a week, and enjoy reading and writing. My favorite thing is travel, both domestic and international.
› What led you to become a volunteer:
I became a regular volunteer after retiring. I’d worked my entire adult life and sitting at home watching television was not appealing to me. Both of my parents were volunteers — my mother with our school and church, and my father with the veteran organizations — so we were taught to serve without pay in areas that benefited the community and that were fulfilling for our physical and mental well-being. Due to lifechanging losses and the emotional and physical pain, and nowhere to turn, I promised myself to be of more service to others than was available to me. I also earned a certification in Death, Dying and LifeChanging Losses in 1998.
While living in the tent villages of Chattanooga’s 11th Street homeless camps, Mark Adams found himself in a violent altercation that landed him in the hospital. But that wasn’t the worst of it.
During his stay, Adams received news of a terminal cancer diagnosis. Yet, without a permanent address, he was unable to access the medical treatment he desperately needed.
This is where Welcome Home of Chattanooga and long-time volunteer Geraldyne North enter the picture.
Founded in 2015, Welcome Home serves as a hospice for the terminallyill homeless, offering them the love and support they’ve often lacked in their lives. North, a dedicated volunteer since its inception, puts in an average of four hours per week, sometimes more — always with her special brand of kindness and enthusiasm.
“Everybody is so happy when they see her white Honda pull up the driveway,” said Welcome Home founder Sherry Campbell. “With her big smile and colorful clothes — she makes everybody smile when they see her show up.”
When Adams first arrived, “he was cursing in paragraphs,” North recalled. “I would kind of say a prayer each day before I got to him. … And eventually, it just started to ease off.”
Welcome Home receives referrals primarily from hospitals, other hospices and the Chattanooga Tumor Clinic. They also have a social worker who visits the homeless tent camps and health care clinics, offering assistance to those in need.
At present, they provide care to seven individuals — four living in their main building and three participating in their cancer respite program. They also have six graduates who have transitioned to off-campus housing.
“We have people who have come here who are dying and — surprise — when your basic needs are being met … and you are loved and care for — you get better,” said Campbell.
This story appears in the September issue of Edge magazine and may be read online at times freepress.com/news/edge. Stories were compiled by staff writers Jennifer McNally, Dave Flessner, Mike Pare, Elizabeth Fite, Bob Gary and Chris Vass.