I MEAN MY LIFE WAS RATHER HARD, BUT I BROUGHT IT ON MYSELF.

I WAS ON THE STREETS, I WAS PIDDLING AROUND, AND I WAS IN JAIL LIKE FOUR TIMES FOR CRIMINAL TRESPASSING, IS WHAT I WAS CHARGED FOR.

SO I SPENT MORE TIME IN JAIL THAN I DID OUT ON THE STREETS REALLY, BUT MY LIFE WAS JUST HECTIC.

WHEN I'D GOTTEN IN A FIGHT IS WHEN THEY FOUND THE CANCER, THAT'S HOW THEY FOUND IT.

AND THEY SAID THAT THEY PROBABLY WOULDN'T DO THE SURGERY BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE AN ADDRESS OR SOMETHING, IT'D JUST GET INFECTED AGAIN.

BUT IT'S ALREADY GOING THROUGH ALL MY BODY ORGANS RIGHT NOW.

YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO TAKE MY LIFE.

WHEN I WENT DOWN TO THE NURSES DOWN THERE AT THE FREE CLINIC AND THEY DIAGNOSED ME WITH THAT CANCER, THEY GOT ME A ROOM HERE.

SO I HAVE THAT BLESSING THAT THEY FOUND ME A PLACE HERE.

I'M SHERRY CAMPBELL AND I'M THE FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF WELCOME HOME.

I HAVE BEEN A SOCIAL WORKER IN CHATTANOOGA FOR 30 YEARS NOW, AND FOR THE LAST 13 YEARS, BEFORE I STARTED WELCOME HOME, I WAS A SOCIAL WORKER FOR HOSPICE OF CHATTANOOGA.

DURING MY TIME AT HOSPICE OF CHATTANOOGA, I KEPT MEETING PEOPLE THAT HAD NOWHERE TO GO FOR END OF LIFE CARE.

IF YOU'RE LIVING OUTDOORS AND YOU GO TO THE HOSPITAL AND FIND OUT THAT YOU HAVE STAGE FOUR CANCER AND YOU'RE DYING, THERE AREN'T VERY MANY OPTIONS OR SHELTERS FOR PEOPLE TO GO TO, TO RECEIVE HOSPICE CARE.

WE ARE A HOME AND A COMMUNITY, REALLY, FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE A TERMINAL ILLESS OR IN NEED OF TREATMENT FOR CANCER, AND NEED A PLACE TO STAY.

WE WANT TO CREATE A PLACE THAT IS SAFE, A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG, THAT THEY'RE LOVED AND CARED FOR, AND WHERE THEY CAN KIND OF PUT DOWN THEIR GUARD AND BE WHO THEY ARE, BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE.

WE DO HAVE STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS WHO COME IN AND PROVIDE COMPANIONSHIP AND LOVE, AND HELP WITH GROCERY SHOPPING AND LAUNDRY.

BUT REALLY, WE'RE ALL KIND OF TAKING CARE OF ONE ANOTHER, RIGHT, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE, AND OUR RESIDENTS HELP US AS MUCH AS WE MIGHT BE HELPING THEM WITH THE THINGS THAT THEY TEACH US AND JUST DEVELOPING THOSE FRIENDSHIPS.

WHEN I CAME HERE, I HAD WORKED AS A BEREAVEMENT COORDINATOR FOR ANOTHER HOSPICE, AND I HAD RETIRED FROM THAT.

BUT I NEEDED SOMETHING TO DO THAT I WOULD ENJOY DOING.

I'VE BEEN HERE AND I LIKE IT.

I FEEL COMFORTABLE HERE.

YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE IT'S HOME.

OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE JUST BEAUTIFUL AND THEY'RE REALLY THE HEART OF WELCOME HOME.

SO THEY PROVIDE CARE.

THEY MIGHT TAKE SOMEONE TO THE THRIFT STORE, OR TO THEIR DOCTORS APPOINTMENTS.

WHEN A RESIDENT COMES HERE, THEY MIGHT COME IN VERY GUARDED, NOT KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT.

MOST OF THEM HAVE SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT TRAUMA, MANY HAVE DEFINITELY PTSD.

THEN HERE COMES THIS VOLUNTEER FROM A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD, AND BECOMES DEAR FRIENDS WITH ONE OF OUR RESIDENTS, AND BOTH OF THEM CHANGE ONE ANOTHER'S LIVES.

WHEN I FIRST MET MARK, MARK WAS CURSING IN PARAGRAPHS AND SENTENCES.

I THOUGHT, I HAVE NEVER HEARD LANGUAGE LIKE THIS!

MY PARTICULAR WORDS AREN'T EXACTLY PLEASING TO SOME, I'D SAY.

I HAD GERALDYNE TALKING ABOUT MY LANGUAGE, BUT I HAVE CHANGED.

WITH GERALDYNE, KNOWING IT OR NOT KNOWING IT, SHE'S REALLY BROUGHT THE BEST OUT OF ME.

THEY HAVE BECOME REALLY GOOD FRIENDS, AND I LOVE SEEING THEM LAUGHING OUT ON THE PORCH.

I LOVE IT WITH GERALDYNE.

WE GO SHOPPING.

EVERY TIME I GET A CHECK OR HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY, ME AND GERALDYNE GO SHOPPING.

AND I LOOK FORWARD TO IT.

I TELL EVERYBODY, EVERYTIME I SEE GERALDYNE, TIME TO GO TO THE STORE!

I THINK THAT WITH THE RELATIONSHIP THAT I'VE DEVELOPED WITH MARK, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER HE'S GROWN MORE OR WHETHER I'VE GROWN MORE.

YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT I'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT ME.

AND I'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT JESUS.

IT MEANS QUITE A BIT.

IT MEANS...

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO WORD IT, REALLY.

BUT I ALWAYS HOPE SHE'LL BE HERE.

BUT I THINK THIS HOUSE, WELCOME HOME, RIGHT HERE, IS A GOOD PLACE FOR PEOPLE.

I BELIEVE THAT ALL HUMANS, ALTHOUGH WE'RE VERY DIVERSE, THAT WE STILL HAVE BASIC NEEDS, ESPECIALLY AT THE END OF LIFE.

WE WANT TO BE HAPPY.

WE WANT TO BE FREE OF SUFFERING.

AND WE WANT TO KNOW THAT SOMEONE LOVES US, AND THAT SOMEONE'S GOING TO REMEMBER US.

FOR ME, I THINK COMMUNITY IS VERY HEALING, REMINDING US THAT WE'RE PART OF A BIGGER PICTURE.

WE'RE NOT ALL ALONE, THAT PEOPLE LOVE US AND CARE ABOUT US.

AND WE LOVE THEM, TOO.

FROM EACH ONE OF THEM, I HAVE LEARNED SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

YOU KNOW, I'VE LEARNED THAT YOU DON'T, LIKE FROM MARK, I'VE LEARNED THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A MULTIMILLIONAIRE TO BE GENEROUS.

YOU KNOW, YOU'VE ALWAYS GOT SOMETHING TO GIVE.

I CONSIDER THIS AS SOMETHING I GET TO DO, YOU KNOW?

TO ME, I CONSIDER IT A PRIVILEGE.

NO MATTER WHAT MAY BE GOING ON, WHEN I COME OUT HERE, I FEEL LIKE THAT I HAVE RECHARGED MY BATTERIES.

FOR US AT WELCOME HOME, IT'S VERY HOLY AND SACRED GROUND, TO BE WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO ARE LEAVING THIS WORLD.

THE GIFTS THAT THEY TEACH US, THE GIFTS THAT THEY LEAVE US WITH, IT'S JUST SUCH AN HONOR.

WE'RE WALKING EACH OTHER HOME.

SO, WE'RE NOT ALONE IN THIS WALK ON THIS PLANET, WALKING EACH OTHER HOME, ALL TOGETHER.