Gilda’s Club Nashville Announces Name Change, Program Expansion and Challenge Grant
NASHVILLE, TENN. – Gilda’s Club Nashville, an affiliate of the Cancer Support Community, announces its name change to Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee and program expansion to better serve the community’s growing population within and beyond Davidson County. The change is effective July 1, 2017.
A Tennessee-based private foundation whose mission is to impact health and education in the state has made an initial commitment of $320,000 to support the expansion of programs and services beyond the existing Clubhouse in Midtown.
“This is an exciting time for our organization – now named Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee,” said Sandy Obodzinski, president and CEO. “The new name reflects our urgent responsibility and commitment to expand. With the region’s unprecedented growth, the need for our program is surging but not everyone is able to visit our Midtown Clubhouse. By expanding our program to meet people where they are out in the community, we are better prepared to meet the needs of people affected by cancer.”
Since opening in 1998, Gilda’s Club Nashville has provided emotional support and education to people impacted by cancer – those who are diagnosed, as well as family and friends. The program is free of charge, and available to men, women and children of all ages and stages of a cancer experience. The evidence-based program directly helps more than 2,200 people annually and includes support groups, healthy lifestyles workshops, mind-body classes, social activities, educational lectures and referrals to community resources, based out of the organization’s Midtown Clubhouse location.
Program expansion includes individual counseling facilitated by mental health clinicians; Open to Options™, a tool to help individuals plan for decision-making conversations with their healthcare team; and, Gilda’s On The Go, an outreach initiative designed to bring educational workshops, lectures and resources into the community at places of worship and employment, schools and community centers.
“Gilda’s Club is more than a singular place – we are a community for all people with any type of cancer, and the people who love them,” said Obodzinski. “Our members report reduced stress and anxiety, increased understanding of information to better manage treatment, and 92 percent report an overall improvement in quality of life.”
The “impact investment” for the expansion calls for Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee to raise a matching $160,000 in new donations and commitments.
“This offers an extraordinary opportunity for our organization, the Middle Tennessee community, and every donor whose gift can go twice as far to support people affected by cancer,” Obodzinski said.
For more information, please contact Sandy Obodzinski at 615.329.1124 or sandyo@gildasclubmiddletn.org.