GILDA'S CLUB: Where the Members are the Magic

by LisaBeth Weber. copyright 2009

for BUCKS COUNTY WOMAN MAGAZINE - October 2009 issue


GILDA'S CLUB. WHERE THE MEMBERS ARE THE MAGIC.
A powerful resource of care, support, love and laughter, right in our own backyard.

For those affected by cancer, it's good to have a place to go for refuge, away from hospitals, doctors, and stress. Through a big red door at the front entrance of a historic house, there is such a place, where the people are warm, the coffee is always on, and the membership is free. It's called GILDA'S CLUB, and it's right in the heart of Bucks County.

With a staff of licensed mental health professionals, volunteers, and members galore, the folks at Gilda's Club are ready, willing, and able to shoulder some of the burden of those living with cancer, as well as their friends and families, by providing an emotional and social support community. Barbara, a Breast Cancer survivor, first went to Gilda's Club in 2003. The profound sense of comfort and peace she felt there opened up a whole new world. She realized she had been treating her cancer as clinically as the medical staff had, and she hadn't addressed the emotional impact. She immediately became a part of the Gilda's Club community, and has been going ever since, as a member, a volunteer, and a donor. "I'm thrilled that there is such an accessible place, in a neighborhood and out of the hospital. The staff is courteous, passionate and supportive. They do whatever they can to meet your needs."

Gilda's Club is named in memory of comedian Gilda Radner, who died from ovarian cancer in 1989 and is best known for her work on Saturday Night Live. She used to say that cancer had given her "membership to an elite club I'd rather not belong to", thus the name, "Gilda's Club", a national organization with facilities throughout the country. In 1998, a group of dedicated volunteers had the vision to bring a clubhouse to the region. With their tenacity to raise funds and create community awareness, by 2002, Gilda's Club opened in Warminster Township.

There truly is something for everyone within the welcoming walls. The calendar is chock full with a myriad of offerings: A journaling group, joke night, pilates, yoga, tai chi, meditation, art events, knitting, a book club, movies, and of course support groups. Members often return as volunteers, sharing their expertise with programs in computers, music, nutrition, and more.

The grounds are beautifully landscaped, with lilac trees, butterfly bushes, and a huge playground, enveloping members in this 7000 square foot, 200 year old safe haven. Remarkably, the building was a stop on the Underground Railroad, where hundreds of slaves found their way to freedom. It is said that the building carries on the spirit of hope, and sanctuary to all who enter. Program Director and licensed clinical social worker Darlene Furey remarks, "In the chaos and fear of a diagnosis, Gilda's Club provides a supportive community. You really can be yourself. People will celebrate your victories, and be there for you in your challenges. There's an intangible magic quality and power here, definitely created by the members and the way they help one another. The staff facilitates it, but the members are the magic. When you come to Gilda's Club, people get it."

Noogieland is the special place for kids at Gilda's Club. With a separate building, and lots of programs for kids of all ages, Noogieland, is a unique place where kids can be kids, while going through the causes and effects of cancer. There are kid and teen support groups, play times, art activities, ice cream parties, and programs designed to help kids explore topics specific to their situation.

Gilda's Club also brings a number of outreach programs to underserved members of the community. There is a Veteran's program, in collaboration with Doylestown Hospital and Congressman Patrick Murphy's office, a school program, providing services to help students and families cope with diagnosis and treatments, a Young Survivor's Coalition that meets at the Club, and a program bringing support to those in the Lesbian Community faced with Breast Cancer.

All these activities are essential, but many would agree that some of the most important work happens when folks get together in the kitchen with a cup of coffee, sharing stories of triumph and challenge with one another. There is something else that happens at Gilda's Club that may surprise some. Laughter. As the old saying "laughter is the best medicine" goes, the ability to laugh is key, especially through the tough times. A member and Breast Cancer survivor named Sparky, sums it up this way, "It's very warm and homey; a feel good place where it's ok to laugh."

Darlene knows it may be difficult for people to walk through the red door for the first time, but what awaits them on the other side is so amazing in terms of support, safety, community, sharing, and FUN. Barbara may have put it best when she said, "You go there and you almost forget that you have cancer. It's a bunch of friends hanging out." Stop on by. The coffee is on.

www.gildasclubdelval.org