Hope Lodge Baltimore

10/15/2025

Recently, our guests were nourished body and spirit by a wonderful dinner hosted by Relay for Life of Georgetown University and the beautiful music of Our Joyful Noise. Thank you!

10/13/2025

We are very pleased to be honoring Danny Jones and Bryan Kilby of Jones Junction for their support of Hope Lodge Baltimore. Join us for this fabulous evening of fellowship, hope, entertainment, music, and fine food at the iconic Baltimore Museum of Industry. See: eveningofhopemd.acsgala.org

10/08/2025

Proud that the beautiful 3-D watercolor titled "Love Taking Flight" that Michel Modell gifted to Hope Lodge Baltimore won her the first-ever American Cancer Society Artist of the Year. She created it in memory of her late husband David Modell, former president of the Baltimore Ravens, who passed away from lung cancer. It will hang in the future, reimagined Hope Lodge Baltimore. For now it is displayed in our great room. Pictured (l to r): Michel unveiling "Love Taking Flight" with Therese Gustitis, Hope Lodge senior manager, and Mary-Lou Strohman, assistant manager, at 2023 Evening of Hope. Learn about the award and Michel's work at: https://stewardship.my.canva.site/acsaoty

10/01/2025

Hope Lodge Supply List Needs: Email therese.gustits@cancer.org or see Amazon to order https://a.co/j0DQflf - THANK YOU!!
Our Hope Lodge cupboards and shelves need restocking. Please help lighten our operating budget to provide our guests with essential household and laundry supplies that add to their comfort while going through cancer treatment.

09/16/2025

Fitness enthusiasts Bob and Maria of the Eastern Shore of Maryland were shocked last April when he was diagnosed with brain cancer at age 63. A seizure that caused him to have a car accident sent him to the ER. At the hospital, he was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer connected to a BRCA2 gene mutation.

Due to the complexity of his diagnosis, the couple decided that their best treatment option was at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. Fortunately, Johns Hopkins is conducting a clinical trial that offers one of the latest treatment advancements for Bob’s cancer, and he was accepted into the trial.

Bob had successful surgery at Johns Hopkins, but the next challenge was where to stay in Baltimore while he underwent 30 rounds of radiation therapy. “We have kids, animals, our jobs. We had no idea what the journey would be like,” says Maria, who did her research and discovered Hope Lodge Baltimore. “I called Hope Lodge at 6:30 a.m., and they told me we could live there. We were lucky to meet their guidelines. We couldn’t believe it. I don’t think my husband would be where he is in recovery if it weren’t for Hope Lodge – financially, emotionally, and physically Hope Lodge made it possible for him to get the care he needed.”

Bob was able to work remotely from Hope Lodge. Maria adds, “It was the safest place to be during treatment; the support you get is incredible. Every guest is a survivor or a family member touched by cancer, so they understand what we’re all going through. They bond together in the evening to support each other. The staff are wonderful. It’s obvious that everyone who works at Hope Lodge wants to be there. I think it’s the most fulfilling job to know that you’ve given cancer patients the ability to live.”

Maria and her husband were so pleased with their stay that they nicknamed it their “Cancer Camp Honeymoon.” They were married in 2017, have a blended family, and never had the time to honeymoon. Maria, a fitness professional, says that they utilized the Hope Lodge gym and were thankful and amazed by the bountiful nutritious food made available through Moveable Feast.

There were a couple of days that Maria needed to go home, so a friend stayed at Hope Lodge with Bob. According to Maria, the friend is a world traveler and told her, “Out of all my experiences, I’ve never experienced humanity like this in my life.”

Bob was able to work remotely from Hope Lodge. Maria adds, “It was the safest place to be during treatment; the support you get is incredible. Every guest is a survivor or a family member touched by cancer, so they understand what we’re all going through. They bond together in the evening to support each other. The staff are wonderful. It’s obvious that everyone who works at Hope Lodge wants to be there. I think it’s the most fulfilling job to know that you’ve given cancer patients the ability to live.”

“I cried when we left Hope Lodge for home,” says Maria. “I felt safe at Hope Lodge. When cancer comes knocking at your door, you don’t know what to do. Hope Lodge is incredible.”

Maria is participating in the Relay For Life event at Wicomico County on September 19 at Winterplace Park to support the American Cancer Society. She would love other cancer survivors and their families in the area to join her. She is part of the top team called, “Team Bucket,” and says, “Your donations help the American Cancer Society fund groundbreaking cancer research, prevention, and treatment, and crucial patient care programs. Please consider joining me at Relay For Life to celebrate and support cancer survivors. www.relayforlife.org/wicomicomd.

08/29/2025

Fabulous coverage by WMAR-2 News Baltimore reporter Maria Morales of the future Hope Lodge construction and generous window donation from Renewal by Andersen.

https://www.wmar2news.com/news/region/baltimore-city/new-hope-lodge-baltimore-under-construction-to-accommodate-more-cancer-patients [secure-web.cisco.com]

A new Hope Lodge Baltimore is under construction to accommodate more cancer patients who come from out of town for treatment.

08/28/2025

Renewal by Andersen employees volunteered their time installing beautiful custom windows that the company generously designed and donated to the future Hope Lodge Baltimore. You can clearly see how lovely the windows are – energy efficient, made of long-lasting, strong materials, and features that allow the windows to open but have guards to prevent them from opening too far as a safety feature. The window design gives the building an additional touch of class with glass. Future guests will have a beautiful view of the street, plus the windows decrease street noise to help ensure a peaceful, sound night’s sleep for our guests. This if the fourth American Cancer Society Hope Lodge for which Renewal by Andersen has very thoughtfully donated their state-of-the-art windows. The window installers also donated their time and talent for the job. Many of the Renewal team have been touched by cancer in their families or are cancer survivors themselves, so this was labor of love to help ease the cancer journey for our Hope Lodge guests and caregivers.

08/21/2025

Have you heard about “Food as Medicine,” which recognizes the profound impact food can have on our health, especially for cancer patients? Please help restock nutritious and soft food items that are running low in our pantry: Protein bars and drinks, nutrition shakes, apple sauce, tuna fish, and more. bit.ly/BaltimoreHL
Learn more about nutrition for people with : https://www.cancer.org/cancer/survivorship/coping/nutrition.html

08/18/2025

Our Hope Lodge Baltimore staff was honored to welcome a visit from Shane Jacobson, the new CEO of the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network - ACS CAN. Hope Lodge was Shane’s first stop on his first day at last week.

He wrote on his LinkedIn page: “I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off this moment than at the Baltimore Hope Lodge, where I had the great opportunity to meet with ACS Chief Patient Officer Arif Kamal MD, MBA, MHS, and staff and volunteers, visit with guests, and learn more about this vital program. The ACS team impressed me with their passion and real time focus on patient outcomes, and I look forward to seeing the new and expanded Baltimore lodge in 2026. Thank you to the many donors and sponsors who make these programs and this growth possible.

To the more than 3,000 ACS teammates, our 1M+ volunteers, and many supporters: our journey continues with the strong commitment to end cancer as we know it, for everyone.”

08/08/2025

It’s the dog days of summer, and the Hope Lodge cupboard is getting a little bare. If you have the ability, please consider donating supplies on our wish list. It’s easy on Amazon. Some items we could really use include: paper towels, hand soap, and laundry detergent, but any donation is very appreciated and alleviates the Hope Lodge operations budget. Thank you very much! bit.ly/BaltimoreHL

08/04/2025

Anthony Clancy came all the way from Pembroke Pines, Florida to be treated for prostate cancer at Johns Hopkins, where his brother, an Eastern Shore Maryland resident, had also been treated for the same diagnosis. Anthony could not find a hospital near home that would treat his prostate cancer without surgery. He was determined to find another option.

Johns Hopkins Medicine offered him the option of hormone therapy followed by radiation therapy. “The other hospitals said they would have to remove my prostate,” says Anthony, who is very grateful that he was able to stay at Baltimore while he went through 39 radiation treatments.

When he rang the Hope Lodge bell before returning home to Florida, he had received good news from his doctors that his PSA count was down to zero.

“Hope Lodge is a Godsend. All the people here are going through the same kind of traumatic journey. Hope Lodge is an oasis of hope,” he says. “Thanks Hope Lodge and the for helping save my life.”

He also has this high praise for the Hope Lodge staff, “One of the keys of hope is having the supportive people who give off a positive vibe and are so good at problem solving.”

Anthony adds that he was able to rest, relax, eat healthy meals at Hope Lodge, and take advantage of the exercise equipment to maintain his physical fitness, which has been so important to his recovery.

06/24/2025

A big thank you to our friends at La Roche-Posay, a leading advocate for skin health including quality of life during cancer treatment, for becoming the Official Skincare Partner of our Hope Lodge Communities.