Stories
Guests Pay it Forward at Goodness Village
Tom Van Meer and his wife Peggy came to UAMS in Little Rock in Fall 2016 after he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. They were told by their doctor on a Friday that they would need to return by Monday to begin extensive treatment. The Van Meers rushed back home to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma to gather clothes and get some things to prepare to be away from home for an extended period.
The Van Meers originally stayed in an extended stay hotel, but the aroma of other people cooking in the hotel was making Tom sick. He became very sensitive to smells after beginning treatment. They got in touch with their social worker at UAMS and learned about Goodness Village for the first time. We have been honored to provide a home away from home to the Van Meers throughout their journey with Multiple Myeloma. Peggy’s testimony describes the vision she hopes to see in the future for Goodness Village:
“We recommend Goodness Village to anyone whenever we get the chance. What they do for the patients and the caregivers is truly amazing. Their volunteers are amazing as well and made sure we had everything we needed. Our relationship with Goodness Village didn’t end once we moved back home, we have a continued friendship with Kim. We have seen remarkable things happen through Kim for other patients. It is very heartwarming to see that the Goodness Village team cares, they are a Godsend for so many people.
Tom is a General Contractor by trade and we both have dreams and goals for Goodness Village to continue to grow. God has given us a vision for the future of Goodness Village to bring the patients and families together in one place, with their own land and up to 50 cottages so that the patients and their families can share and take care of one another. For this to happen we encourage people and organizations to donate to this marvelous organization.
We continue to support Goodness Village financially and always will. It truly is a tremendous feeling to know that when we give, we are helping other patients and families have a safe, wholesome environment to call home when they are ill.”