Goodness Village: Providing a Home Away from Home
How much would your life change if a diagnosis forced you to uproot everything and seek treatment in an unfamiliar city? Imagine putting your life on hold for weeks, months, or even years, away from everything you call ‘home.’
This scenario is a reality for hundreds of families coming to Little Rock yearly needing medical treatment. Over time, the city has become a medical hub offering life-saving treatments to patients, and those making the journey to the capital city need a place to stay where they can relax and recover. For the past 30 years, Goodness Village has stepped up to provide a “home away from home” for patients and their families receiving outpatient medical treatment.
Today, Goodness Village continues its mission in the spirit of Matthew 25:35-40 (“I was a stranger, and you invited me in…I was sick, and you visited me.”). With the support of dedicated staff and volunteers, the people of Goodness Village offer something more to their guests than a place to stay. Each apartment is a refuge, providing a place to heal where patients and their families can find comfort, care, and community when they need it most.
From Small Beginnings
Recently, Kim Burket, Executive Director of Goodness Village, gave me a tour of one of their apartments. As soon as I step inside, I am impressed by what I see. There is a sense of warmth and comfort throughout the space. I think, “Someone thought a lot about how to make this place feel more like home than a hotel.” Every detail, from the modern appliances in the kitchen to the carefully selected decor, has been placed with the guest’s care and comfort in mind. The bedroom features fresh linens and plush pillows, making it easy to imagine someone finding rest here after a long day. The bathroom is designed with accessibility in mind, with grab bars near the shower. The kitchen is stocked: cupboards filled with essentials donated by volunteers and volunteer groups, easy-to-heat meals in the fridge, drawers, and cabinets filled with kitchen necessities, and a coffee maker with plenty of java for going back and forth from the hospital.
After our tour, we sit down in the living room for an interview about the history and future of Goodness Village. Kim’s personality radiates with joy; it is infectious. She is genuine and has the endearing quality of speaking from her heart. It’s easy to like Kim and believe she genuinely cares about her mission and the people Goodness Village serves.
She tells me about the long and winding road that brought Goodness Village to where it is today. The organization, formerly known as Home Away from Home, started with one woman, Carolyn Johnson, who cared for her mother while receiving cancer treatment, saw a need, and felt God’s call for her to do something. “She had met patients in the UAMS waiting room who had nowhere to stay,” Kim recalls. “ She got the nudge from the Lord and literally signed the lease on the first apartment in her name…and said, ‘We’re going to do this.’ It was the first step, but it didn’t take long for her home church, Little Rock Church, to get involved. “Little Rock Church rallied around her and gathered used furniture, and another church in Pocahontas loaded up two U-Hauls full of used furniture and brought it to Little Rock.” Kim says, “You’re seeing everything [here] looking all fresh and beautiful. But what I love is that it started just bare bones—used furniture and nothing matched. But it was a home.”
What’s Next, Lord?
With her background in hospitality and working at hotels, Kim worked part-time for five years for 20th Century Club Lodge, another housing option. For Kim, this was a stepping stone where she “began to learn about the patients and families traveling in for treatment.
After her time at the lodge, she wondered, “What’s next, Lord?” Around that time, her friend, Krissy, invited Kim and her family to Little Rock Church. It turns out that was exactly where they needed to be, as she met Regina, the Director of what was then Home Away from Home, now known as Goodness Village. Kim recalls, “Regina, knowing my background, asked me if I’d be interested in volunteering. I said, ‘Oh, absolutely. Sounds great.’ From day one, I knew that this mission was something special. I could not get away from talking to the people. It just filled me.”
After about a month, Kim tells me, “Regina invited me for coffee and said, ‘I’ve been praying for a long time who will be taking over this ministry. Kim, you’re the one.’ And I said, ‘Oh my goodness, Regina, thank you so much. But I don’t know anything about ministry, and I’ve never done this before.’” But Regina encouraged Kim to at least pray about it.
Kim prayed over it and felt a peace about it. Looking back through her history of losing both grandmothers to cancer, years of hospitality experience and love for helping people – This was what she was supposed to do. She told Regina, who was elated to hear the news. Kim vividly remembers Regina handing her “a flip phone, a couple of notebooks and a large key ring full of keys to all of the apartments. I quickly realized I had my work cut out for me. There were no staff, there was no budget, and there was only $3,000 in the bank.’”
Kim was off on a great adventure with an uncertain future ahead of her. Her task was daunting, but she knew she had the support of her church. They told her, “We will help you in any way.” Nevertheless, Kim had moments, wondering, “Lord, what am I doing?” and all she knew to do was to lean on her faith.
A Chance Encounter with Mr. and Mrs. Pfeifer
Kim jumped into the work with everything she had. “I started visiting different women’s ministry groups and sharing about the mission of Home Away from Home and looking for volunteers.” The work was hard and long, and Kim remembers, “One particular day, I was sitting in a chair, sobbing because I was like, ‘Lord, I need help.’ I didn’t want to just pray for any people to come. I was praying for God to bring His people that He wanted to join this mission.” God answered that prayer and brought Pam Hamby, her first employee, to the team. She told Kim, “I used to do design in my previous work, and I’d love to help you.” Kim and Pam worked together, doing all they could to make every apartment feel like home. “We didn’t have any money, so we got creative and went to garage sales and such. ”
Through the years, God would provide Kim with breadcrumbs, and not long into her role, Kim met Mr. Pfieifer, a patient from Wichita, Kansas, who “became like our family.” Mr. Pfeifer saw the impact of the ministry and even secretly paid the rent for a fellow patient’s family. One day, he & Ms. Pfeifer invited Kim to dinner and asked her to share her vision for what was then Home Away from Home)Moved by what he heard, Mr. and Mrs. Pfeifer wrote a check for $10,000 for the ministry. “That was a million dollars to me,” Kim says, laughing. And yet another stepping stone.
Getting Churches Involved
Though Home Away from Home continued to grow as a ministry, Kim felt stretched thin, with increasing demands on her time and energy. As the need for affordable housing grew, Kim felt the support of Little Rock Church guiding her and helping with resources. Another church, Fellowship Bible Church, also embraced the mission of Home Away from Home. Kim recounts her nervousness presenting to Fellowship’s pastors. “I was shaking.” With a binder that I put together myself filled with photos of the apartments and patient testimonies, Kim shared. The pastors were moved and, soon after, agreed to support the organization with finances and volunteers—another stepping stone.
Eventually, Kim and her team decided to rebrand Home Away from Home as Goodness Village and establish it as a nonprofit. She reflects, “It was quite a process and overwhelming. But again, we kept leaning in, praying, ‘Lord, what’s next?’” In March 2020, Goodness Village officially became an independent 501(c) (3) organization just as the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Kim tells me, “I was just devastated. We had gotten this far. We could not present and share the exciting news of our rebrand with the community. We had great plans to set meetings with area churches, businesses, and organizations and hold an open house to celebrate our new name. And so the Lord showed up big again. When the other housing options had to close their doors or run at lower capacity, we thrived. It was just right before our eyes. It was just like this was what was supposed to happen. We were made for this, which became our theme and talking piece.”
The Future of Goodness Village
Reflecting on the journey that has brought her to today, Kim marvels at God’s faithfulness and wonders with excitement about what He has in store for Goodness Village in the future. “When I started 15 years ago, I was the only staff member, and today, we have grown into a dedicated team of 17,” she says. “We currently operate 22 fully-furnished apartments, each providing a haven for those in need.”
In 2023 alone, Goodness Village served over 350 guests from 22 states and five foreign countries. Kim tells me, “With the average stay being 30 days, we provided 6,064 nights of housing and approximately $185,000 of financial support to assist with housing costs from our family support fund. Our family support fund combines funding from individuals, businesses, community partners, and grants. It truly takes a village!”
Kim envisions a future for Goodness Village where community and connection are at the heart of Goodness Village. “If we get the right people involved, the right churches, the right individuals, and businesses, I think it could be a model for others to follow.” With Goodness Village expanding its partnerships, Kim is optimistic about what’s ahead. “If we get the right people involved, the right churches, the right individuals, the right businesses, I think it could be a model for others to follow. Our model is unique, and we’re planting a lot of seeds and seeing some great alignments,” she says. Kim knows God has done this and adds, “It’s all for the Lord. I give Him full glory for that.”
Stories from the Guestbook
The Medeiros family came to Little Rock with their newborn son, Cam, who needed a heart transplant. Cam’s mother, Karissa, expressed her gratitude for Goodness Village’s support. “It alleviated the stress of finding somewhere we could stay long term,” she says. “It gave us a stable home base in Little Rock, a place where grandparents could visit and support us as we focused on Cam’s care.” For nine months, Goodness Village was their refuge, allowing them to focus on Cam’s health instead of worrying about housing arrangements.
When their five-year-old son Giuliano was diagnosed with a progressive neuromuscular disease, the Beidlers had to split their family, traveling from Pennsylvania to Little Rock to access the best treatment for him. With three young children, they initially bounced between hotels, airports, and hospitals, but Goodness Village provided the stability they needed. Linsay, Giuliano’s mother, explains, “Being able to cook meals, bathe the kids, and let them play in a safe environment made such a difference. Giuliano had a real home, and it gave him a chance to just be a kid despite everything.”
During his cancer treatment at CARTI, Charles Harris found not only housing but also emotional support. “They brought us gift baskets, a quilt, and other inspirational items,” Charles says. “CARTI and Goodness Village were more than I expected.” His stay was financially covered through a sponsorship, freeing him from financial worries and allowing him to focus solely on his recovery.
The Joy of Giving Back
Goodness Village goes above and beyond to touch hearts and change lives. Kim and her team give their guests much more than a place to stay. They are the warm blanket and cool drink of water for those enduring the most challenging time in their lives. What Goodness Village does best of all is provide the love and care of Jesus in ways that remind people they are not alone on their journey. There is a whole village behind them.
We are so thankful for Goodness Village and the churches that support their work for the kingdom. Every day, they show others how wonderful, compassionate, and caring our God truly is. Community partners and volunteer groups give generously, filling cupboards and creating a space that feels like home.
With each meal shared and each word of encouragement given, you hear the echoes of Christ’s love. Goodness Village reminds us that giving back to others is the greatest joy we can have.
May our churches and organizations like Goodness Village continue to give back because we have received so much from Him. Let us be grateful. Let us be generous.
