The grant will support the construction of a new family housing building to be named in Arthur M. Blank's honor, located at 1860 Peachtree Road in Atlanta. The expansion will add approximately 160 housing units, and construction will begin this fall.

"Arthur has always believed in the importance of our family-centered approach to rehabilitative care," said Alana Shepherd, Shepherd Center co-founder and chairman of the board. "With The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation's generous support of our programs like recreation therapy and the SHARE Military Initiative, he has allowed countless patients to pursue what is possible. With this investment in our family housing program, Shepherd can help restore the lives of even more who seek our care from around the world."

Integrating family into treatment poses a challenge when patients or their families aren't local to Atlanta. Currently, Shepherd Center provides up to 30 days of housing to families of newly injured rehabilitation patients if both the family and patient live more than 60 miles from the hospital. With the average length of stay for patients at Shepherd Center at approximately 60 days and more than 50 percent of patients and families coming to Shepherd from outside the state of Georgia, this crucial grant from the Blank Family Foundation will expand the number of family housing units, enabling families and caregivers to stay the entire time needed for their loved ones' rehabilitation at Shepherd Center.

Blank, a long-time donor to Shepherd Center, brings a deep understanding of the tremendous value and life-changing effects of care beyond traditional clinical and rehabilitation services. He has provided significant support over the years to Shepherd Center's SHARE Military Initiative, a program that delivers world-class treatment at no cost to veterans, service members and first responders with traumatic brain injuries. SHARE clients and families also rely on the family housing units during their treatment at Shepherd Center.

"My family and I are honored to support Shepherd Center and their promise to care for the whole family in times of such difficulty," said Blank, chairman, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. "I'm filled with deep respect and pride that Alana and her team have remained an organization that is focused on family. Having seen the benefits firsthand of loved ones working alongside patients during recovery, I know it is a clinical imperative. It is my hope this new facility will ease their burdens in some small way so they can focus on helping their loved ones heal."

The generous grant is a direct extension of Blank's belief that patients can live more fulfilling lives when their hearts and minds are cared for alongside their illnesses and injuries. Family involvement and participation are a proven part of that equation.

For more than two decades, the Blank Family Foundation has supported Shepherd's donor-funded programs like recreation therapy, which are vital to Shepherd's industry-leading patient outcomes. From navigating airports to scuba diving and water sports to gardening, music, art, and learning self-advocacy, Shepherd has the most extensive recreation therapy program in the nation, empowering patients to embrace life fully and re-engage in their communities after they graduate.

This grant continues The Blank Family Foundation's support of Atlanta institutions, including Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Spelman College, Atlanta Humane Society, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and the Atlanta BeltLine, among many others.

"Throughout Shepherd's more than 46 years of experience, we've consistently witnessed how integral families are in the rehabilitation process," said Sarah Morrison, PT, MBA, MHA, Shepherd Center CEO. "With the expansion of our housing program, we will reduce the financial and emotional burden on our patients' families so they can focus on learning how to support their loved ones and each other through rehabilitation and as they return to their communities."

Ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 10 rehabilitation hospitals in the nation, Shepherd Center specializes in medical treatment, research, and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, spine and chronic pain, and other neurological conditions stemming from a life-altering injury or diagnosis. Having served more than 35,000 patients to date, Shepherd Center is one of only a few neurorehabilitation specialty hospitals in the nation.