Few people could predict what would happen when Jewish refugee Margot Freudenberg opened the doors to the Charleston Hope Lodge in 1970. More than five decades later, the endeavor has grown into a nationwide organization that has touched more than 111 million lives — patients, their loved ones, friends, neighbors and colleagues.
Yes, just under one in three Americans have benefitted from charitable work in 31 lodges in 22 states and Puerto Rico.
Under the wing of the American Cancer Society (ACS), the Hope Lodge serves as a temporary home for cancer patients while they undergo treatment — completely free of charge. In Charleston, it’s located on Calhoun Street across from the Medical University of South Carolina…