Gilda's Club in Evansville is one step closer to opening its doors. Melanie Atwood has been hired as the new Executive Director. She most recently served as the Director of Strategic Alliances at Youth First, and was the Supervisor of Knowledge Management at Fifth Third Processing Solutions.
This historic home on Lincoln Avenue in Evansville will soon be transformed into a place to help families dealing with cancer. Whether you have the diagnosis, or you love someone who has the diagnosis, the Gilda's Club clubhouse is getting closer to becoming a reality. Eyewitness News Anchor, Randy Moore says this hire is an important piece of the puzzle. A puzzle, he started working on with his late wife Ann.
"This is the biggest thing that's happened to us since the founding. And as you know, this was Ann's idea and to this day, blows me away that here's a woman who has a terminal diagnosis who's enduring a great deal of pain and then looks beyond herself to what might happen for the community in terms of cancer care and she founded it and we get to finish it for her," Randy Moore said.
Gilda's Club has named Melanie Atwood its new Executive Director. Six months of renovations will soon begin. The front door will be painted red. Inside, there will be counseling rooms, an art studio, a kitchen, and recreation space.
"All sorts of things happen when you have cancer. You eventually probably loose your job, your eating habits change, the way you feel. All that changes and you just need support and even though we had a very supportive family, a lot of people have very supportive families, many times it just take more than that," Moore said.
It's a community project that will help a lot of people who all have something in common.
"A week does not go by that we receive an e-mail or a phone call for someone looking for help and we have not been able to say to them please come, we're open. What I am most excited about is being able to answer that phone and say, come on over," Board President, Marcia Forston said.
Gilda's Club says as it continues to look for financial support, it's anxious to provide free services and support to all people dealing with all cancers.
Atwood will officially take the title of Executive Director on February 11th. Gilda's Club says it hopes to be open by the end of this year.
This historic home on Lincoln Avenue in Evansville will soon be transformed into a place to help families dealing with cancer. Whether you have the diagnosis, or you love someone who has the diagnosis, the Gilda's Club clubhouse is getting closer to becoming a reality. Eyewitness News Anchor, Randy Moore says this hire is an important piece of the puzzle. A puzzle, he started working on with his late wife Ann.
"This is the biggest thing that's happened to us since the founding. And as you know, this was Ann's idea and to this day, blows me away that here's a woman who has a terminal diagnosis who's enduring a great deal of pain and then looks beyond herself to what might happen for the community in terms of cancer care and she founded it and we get to finish it for her," Randy Moore said.
Gilda's Club has named Melanie Atwood its new Executive Director. Six months of renovations will soon begin. The front door will be painted red. Inside, there will be counseling rooms, an art studio, a kitchen, and recreation space.
"All sorts of things happen when you have cancer. You eventually probably loose your job, your eating habits change, the way you feel. All that changes and you just need support and even though we had a very supportive family, a lot of people have very supportive families, many times it just take more than that," Moore said.
It's a community project that will help a lot of people who all have something in common.
"A week does not go by that we receive an e-mail or a phone call for someone looking for help and we have not been able to say to them please come, we're open. What I am most excited about is being able to answer that phone and say, come on over," Board President, Marcia Forston said.
Gilda's Club says as it continues to look for financial support, it's anxious to provide free services and support to all people dealing with all cancers.
Atwood will officially take the title of Executive Director on February 11th. Gilda's Club says it hopes to be open by the end of this year.
