Who was Sarah?

Sarah was a woman inspired by her loving family and her Catholic faith. She left a lasting, personal imprint on everything she touched. Whether it was organizing large family dinners, serving the homeless or creating coordinated Halloween costumes, Sarah was someone who knew what she wanted done and how she wanted it done!

Sarah was an active parishioner at the Cathedral of the Incarnation, where she regularly attended daily mass and led Bible study classes for several years. She served on the Cathedral's finance committee for the past 5 years. One of her passions was leading the Room in the Inn Program at the Cathedral for the past 12 years. Every Tuesday evening between November and March, she and her team of volunteers hosted up to 40 homeless men for a meal and place to stay.

Perhaps her single greatest passion was the family she and her husband, Jimmy, created. Their six children all attended Overbrook School and Pope John Paul II Preparatory School. She loved gathering around the table with her family and prepared home cooked meals four and five nights a week.

Sarah was also a competitive tennis player at Hillwood Country Club. She loved to travel, hike and kayak on the Buffalo River. Family vacations and extended travel trips with her kids were a true source of joy for both Sarah and Jimmy.

Sarah was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in October 2022, yet she lived another three and a half years without complaint. She never allowed the painful reality of her illness distract her from living her life fully and with purpose. During the last months of her life, her loved ones surrounded her and witnessed how intentional she was in seeing to the needs of others, even in her final days.

What is Heart of Mary House (HOMH)?

We are a home, a shelter, for people in need of a home. In order for us to be able to provide a space to give our neighbors access to medical care, they be under the medical care of a licensed hospice agency. This allows for them to have their need of housing met, while also being able to now receive home hospice through their hospice agency.

Why is Heart of Mary House needed?

Kim worked as a registered nurse in the hospice field for over 11 years. Through her first hand experiences, she witnessed time and time again the disparities of the underserved who had been given a terminal diagnosis and were in need of home hospice care. Medicare and other insurance agencies do not pay the cost of room and board. Nor do they pay for dependent care needs of the hospice patient. This disparity creates obstacles to care when a person has no home to receive home hospice services in.

Heart of Mary House is the first and only home in Middle Tennessee to respond to this ever growing need in our community. The hope is to create and manage homes throughout Middle Tennessee and make a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of our neighbors in need.

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