Mission Moment: For Arthur Blank, Family Comes First

When Arthur Blank, co-founder of The Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons football team, learned he had cancer, his first thought was not for the battle he faced. It was for his family. 

“Telling my family was the hardest part,” he told the Georgia Center for Oncology Research & Education. “Family is the most important thing in my life and protecting them from any hardship and pain is my life’s purpose.”

Arthur was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December 2015. While he was pronounced cancer-free a few months later after undergoing surgery, his concern extended beyond his own family to the families of patients at Shepherd Center through a $50 million grant from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation supporting the construction of the Arthur M. Blank Family Residences. 

The 160-unit tower at 1860 Peachtree Road more than doubles the hospital’s onsite capacity to house the families of Shepherd patients, alleviating the financial hardship faced by out-of-town relatives who need to stay close by. 

“I’m filled with deep respect and pride that Alana Shepherd and her team have remained an organization that is focused on family,” Arthur says. “Having seen the benefits of loved ones working alongside patients during recovery, I know it is a clinical imperative. It is my hope that this new facility will ease families’ burdens in some small way so they can focus on helping their loved ones heal.” 

Arthur started the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation in 1995 while he was still with The Home Depot. Since then, the foundation has poured more than $1.5 billion into charitable causes. Blank family philanthropy “is driven by a desire to make a meaningful and positive impact on the lives of individuals and communities,” Arthur says. 

“Arthur has always believed in the importance of our family-centered approach to rehabilitative care,” Alana Shepherd, one of Shepherd Center’s founders, says. “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.” 

Arthur has also provided support to Shepherd’s SHARE Military Initiative, a program that delivers treatment at no cost to veterans, service members, and first responders with traumatic brain injuries and mental health concerns.

Arthur says he learned about Shepherd Center during the earliest days of The Home Depot and was “impressed with its mission from the beginning.” Some of The Home Depot’s first donations went to Shepherd.

Shepherd Center’s mission “aligns deeply with our values,” he says. “It’s rewarding to be part of an organization that makes such a tangible difference in people’s lives.”

Written by Gayle White

This story is an excerpt from “Mission Moments: 50 Years of Rebuilding Lives One Moment at a Time,” a book celebrating Shepherd’s 50th anniversary in 2025. You can explore the full eBook or purchase a hardcover copy here.