CommUNITY Champion: Red Mountain Grace, bringing comfort to families in need

DURING LIFE’S CHALLENGING MOMENTS. THAT’S WHY WE’RE SHOWCASING THE NONPROFIT RED MOUNTAIN GRACE AS OUR WVTM 13 PROJECT COMMUNITY CHAMPION TONIGHT. THEY HOUSED PATIENTS DURING THEIR MEDICAL STAYS RIGHT HERE IN THE MAGIC CITY. LIKE THIS INCREDIBLE FAMILY FROM NORTH ALABAMA. COME ON IN. RANDY SCOTT AND HIS SISTER LINDA BENTLEY RETURNING TO THEIR DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM APARTMENT PROVIDED BY RED MOUNTAIN GRACE. AND THEY’RE WELCOMING US TO IT’S BEEN LIKE A HOME AWAY FROM HOME. SO IT’S COMING IN AND HAVING A COMFORTABLE PLACE TO SIT DOWN AND RELAX DURING THE PROCESS OF EVERYTHING HAS HAS BEEN OVERWHELMED, TO SAY THE LEAST. STANDING BY MY SIDE WITH HIS STRONGER THAN YESTERDAY’S SHIRT, RANDY TAPPING ME HIS GOOD NEWS. HAPPY TO BE CANCER FREE. THIS IS RANDY AND LINDA USING HER VOICE TO SHARE THEIR LONG JOURNEY THROUGH BATTLING CANCER. SINCE 2008, HE WAS TOBACCO USER AND FROM THAT POINT HE CAME UP WITH A SPOT ACTUALLY IN HIS JAW. THIS TIME AROUND, THEY’VE BEEN IN BIRMINGHAM FOR SIX WEEKS. WE HAD 50 TREATMENTS THIS TIME. THIS IS THE ONLY AREA AREA IN THE STATE OF ALABAMA THAT PROVIDES THE PROTON TREATMENT. WHEN YOU’RE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THIS, I CAN’T EVEN IMAGINE EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT FROM JUST CARETAKING AND ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH THE PROCEDURES. BUT YOU CAN’T REALLY WORRY ABOUT THE LITTLE THINGS. SO HAVING AND BEING BLESSED WITH A PLACE TO STAY ARE TRULY A BLESSING. WE ARE SO, SO THANKFUL FOR THE TEAM OF PEOPLE AND FOR RED MOUNTAIN GRACE THAT’S PULLED THIS TOGETHER FOR US. AND OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE GRACIOUS HOSPITALITY TO FAMILIES TRAVELING TO BIRMINGHAM FOR LONG TERM MEDICAL CARE. RED MOUNTAIN GRACE HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A DECADE AND HAS WELCOMED OVER A THOUSAND FAMILIES THROUGH THEIR DOORS, 129 FAMILIES SO FAR THIS YEAR ALONE. IT STARTED WITH TWO UNITS. WE OPERATE 21 APARTMENTS. NOW. OUR GUESTS PAY $10 A NIGHT TO STAY IN A FULLY FURNISHED APARTMENT. THEIR ALTERNATIVES WOULD BE TO EITHER COMMUTE BACK AND FORTH HOTEL IN DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM, CLOSE TO THE HOSPITALS OR $200 A NIGHT. SO WE’RE SAVING OUR GUEST AROUND $9,000 ON THAT AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY. THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY IS A MONTH AND A HALF. BUT OF COURSE, THAT VARIES WHETHER A PATIENT IS AT AN AREA HOSPITAL IN THE ICU RECOVERING, GETTING A TRANSPLANT OR RECEIVING TREATMENT. THE NONPROFIT ARE MAKING SURE A FAMILY STAY IS AS CONVENIENT AS POSSIBLE. THE VOLUNTEERS WORKING TO PROVIDE COMFORT. THE STORY FULL OF COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS. THIS SEGMENT IS IS IDENTIFYING AND CELEBRATING HEROES. RIGHT, LINDA BEING THE CAREGIVER THAT SHE IS, SHE’S TAKING ON THE BURDEN OF CARING FOR HER HUSBAND AND RANDY AND AND HERSELF. RIGHT. LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT LIFE GOING ON. THAT’S WHY WE BELIEVE IN THE MODEL OF MULTIFAMILY THAT SHE CAN HAVE SOME SEMBLANCE OF NORMALCY TO DO, DO LAUNDRY, TO HAVE A HOME COOKED MEAL WHILE RANDY, LINDA AND HER HUSBAND LOOK FORWARD TO SLEEPING IN THEIR OWN BEDS IN ATHENS, ALABAMA. THEY AGREE A SUPPORT SYSTEM HERE HAS MEANT EVERYTHING HEAVEN. THIS HAS JUST BEEN PHENOMENAL TO US THE MOST. IT’S GIVEN US SO MUCH COMFORT TO GET THROUGH THIS TOGETHER AND NOT ALONE IN THEIR HOME, AWAY FROM HOME. AN INCREDIBLE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. GOSHEN JUST THE COMFORTS, RIGHT? THAT WE THAT WE MIGHT TAKE FOR GRANTED. UNLESS WE ARE AWAY FROM HOME. A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GIVE ON THEIR WEBSITE, A LOT OF BUSINESSES, PEOPLE COME TOGETHER TO TO ADOPT AN APARTMENT, TO TO GIVE PEOPLE CARE DURING THEIR TIME OF NEED. JUST SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN KIND OF HELP THEM AS THEY’RE GETTING BACK, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH THOSE THOSE HEALTH CHALLENGES KIND OF,