Come and Get It! Dinnertime at Gilda’s Club

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Come and Get It! Dinnertime at Gilda’s Club

November 24th, 2009

2002: “Excuse me, did you say that I have cancer?” This is what my best friend Natalie said to the emergency room doctor when she went in because of what she thought to be a wretched sinus infection. To everyone’s surprise, this otherwise healthy just-turned-twenty-one-year-old college student, had a malignant tumor behind her left eye. Months of treatment and surgeries in New York City followed the diagnosis. Chance of survival was thin.

2004: The words were like beautiful music streaming from heaven, “complete remission.” Ok, back to school – check. Graduation – check. Land a wonderful job teaching 5^th grade – check. Fall madly in love and marry the man of my dreams – check. 5 years cancer free – check!

2009: “Excuse me, did you say that I have cancer? Again.” Wonderful.

You’re probably wondering what this has to do with volunteering. Well, it was a visit with Natalie that inspired me to volunteer at Gilda’s Club. For those of you who haven’t heard about the awesomeness that is Gilda’s Club, you are missing out. Gilda’s Club (named for comedian Gilda Radner who died of ovarian cancer at age 42) is a place that offers support and education to people living with cancer and their loved ones. Weekly Wellness Groups, Social Activities, Networking Groups, Family Sessions, Lectures, and Workshops are only a few of the great things being offered by Gilda’s Club. The Club also provides many opportunities for volunteers to give comfort and support to the Club Members. I decided to see how I could help…

Let’s see…Gardening – don’t really have a green thumb, Office Support – doesn’t really fit my schedule, Handy Person – ha, that’s funny! Oh, here we go, Dinner Host. Oh, wait, I suck at cooking. But my other BFF, Laura, does not!

Text from Patty to Laura: Want 2 cook meal for 50 peeps @ Gilda’s Club n 2 weeks?

5 seconds later.

Text from Laura to Patty: Sure! When? (my friends are awesome!)

10 seconds later before I can even reply.

Text from Laura to Patty: My mom, sis & aunts want 2 help. Cool? (see, awesome!)

Without a second thought, Laura was in! And, she had even recruited her family to help. The World could certainly use more Lauras.

Before I knew it, the planning was done. I barely did anything…the Wright Family had taken over! It was definitely not my intention to pawn off all the work, but they said they had it…and if you’ve ever met a member of the Wright Family, you know not to argue…you’d never win! (I totally mean that as a compliment by the way…I love you guys!)

The night of the event I think I’m getting there early. Ha! Ellen and Julie and Laura’s dad, Jerry, are already there. Lasagnas (all homemade by the way) are in the oven. In come Laura and her sister Emily…both nursing students who definitely don’t have time to be here right now, but somehow they made it work. So there we are buttering bread, putting dishes out, tossing a fresh salad, playfully bickering….it feels like being at home. I am the only one not related, but I didn’t notice.

5 minutes! Okay, here goes…

One by one they come through the line. Men, women, children, teenagers, elderly, Black, White, Asian, Hispanic…once strangers and now a family brought together by cancer. Smiling and laughing they fill their plates. A thousand times we hear “Thank you! This is wonderful! Thank you so much!” One meal, so simple yet so meaningful…one less thing they have to worry about.

This project allowed me to honor my loved ones who are living with cancer and those who have sadly lost the battle. This project hit home for the Wright family too as Ellen and Julie are both breast cancer survivors. If you are looking for a way to offer comfort to people living with cancer and the families who are supporting them, look no further than Gilda’s Club. If cooking isn’t your thing…no biggie, Gilda’s has many opportunities to get involved. Check them out at www.gildasclublouisville.org

Thank you so much to my friend Laura and her amazing family: parents Ellen & Jerry, sister Emily, & aunts Julie & Carrie. Ya’ll rock!