Why Cancer Patients Need a “Home Away From Home”

When cancer treatment begins, many patients immediately start planning the end.

They circle dates on the calendar. They map out treatment schedules. They tell their families, “I’ll be home by this day.”

But according to Kim Burket, Executive Director of Goodness Village, cancer treatment rarely follows a perfectly planned timeline.

“Don’t rush the process,” she says. “It’s a journey.”

For thousands of patients traveling to Little Rock for treatment, that journey also includes another challenge: finding a place to live for months while they fight for their lives. Through Goodness Village, Kim and her team are helping families stay together during one of the hardest chapters of their lives, offering not just housing, but community, dignity, and support.

Episode Highlights

In this episode, we discuss:

Why affordable housing is one of the most overlooked barriers to cancer care
How Goodness Village keeps families together during long treatment journeys
The power of small acts of kindness in patient support
What working with hundreds of cancer patients has taught Kim about resilience
The importance of collaboration between hospitals and community organizations
Why patients should “trust the process” during treatment

About the Guest

Kim Burket is the Executive Director of Goodness Village, a nonprofit organization in Little Rock, Arkansas that provides affordable housing for patients and families traveling to the city for medical treatment.

With a background in hospitality, Kim has spent more than 15 years helping expand the organization’s mission of providing a safe, supportive home environment for patients undergoing long-term treatment. What started three decades ago with a single apartment has grown into a 26-apartment community that supports hundreds of families each year.

Under Kim’s leadership, Goodness Village continues to expand its partnerships with hospitals and healthcare providers while advocating for greater awareness of the housing challenges faced by patients seeking specialized care.

Learn more:
https://goodnessvillage.org