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Giving a shoulder to lean on
(by K. Darius Amos - July 30, 2008)
Susan Berlinrood resembled a pink, drum wielding bunny that just keeps going and going. At one moment last Saturday afternoon, the Hackensack resident was conducting interviews for television crews, and then the next, she was helping children to and from activity stations.
And in between, Berlinrood would simply talk to parents or man the front desk during the annual carnival at Gilda’s Club Northern New Jersey. Mustering up that type of energy for these events might be Berlinrood’s forte, or perhaps that’s just the life of a volunteer, on the run and on the go.
It’s hard to believe that Berlinrood is the same person who just seven years earlier was nearly crippled by cancer. She said Gilda’s Club not only gave her energy, it also saved her life.
"When I first came to Gilda’s Club seven years ago, I could hardly walk," she said Saturday as she hurriedly rushed to the club’s doors to greet a carnival guest. "Without the club, I wouldn’t be here talking about survival. All the information I got, all the support I received came from Gilda’s."
For all ages
Named after actress and comedienne Gilda Radner, Gilda’s Club Northern New Jersey was founded in 2000 and was the eighth affiliate to open. Based in Hackensack on the corner of Main and Ross, Gilda’s Club provides support and services to more than 800 members in Bergen, Passaic and Rockland (N.Y.) counties.
"Membership is free and is open to all ages – men, women and children with cancer or those who have been touched by cancer," said Lenore Guido, program director at Gilda’s Club Northern New Jersey.
Throughout the year, Gilda’s Club provides various support groups and activities for adults, including line dancing, arts and crafts, yoga, poker and knitting, among others. Wellness and bereavement sessions, lectures and workshops are also offered to cancer survivors and their friends and families.
Joan Kozielski has been a Gilda’s Club member for more than three years, and she and her family members take advantage of all the organization’s programs and informational groups.
"I go to the Wellness Group. There, all of the people are so helpful and they give you good ideas to think about instead of all the negatives that cancer can bring," Kozielski, a Ridgewood resident and cancer survivor, said during last week’s carnival.
"Look at what they have done to make people feel special. Everyone at Gilda’s acts like you’re the only one here."
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Last Saturday’s Noogieland Carnival, a yearly celebration of the Noogies program, invited residents of all ages to the clubhouse for an afternoon of fun and activities. Families with children and grandchildren were entertained by various carnival games, face painting and jewelry making. Food, snacks and drinks were also served.
"We want to educate children on what cancer is," said Rachel Gottlieb, the youth program manager at Gilda’s. "A lot of kids have misconceptions about what cancer is. It’s like magical thinking."
Through the Noogies program, named after the popular Saturday Night Live skit in which the late Radner doled out ‘noogies’ to other characters, Gottlieb said volunteers try to eliminate children’s beliefs that cancer might be contagious or that a parent’s illness is the fault of a child.
"We talk about a lot of things with the children and try to reduce their stress. They’re all age appropriate ways to answer cancer questions and solve problems," she said.
Support group
Despite the success of Noogies, as well as Gilda’s other network of support groups and programs, the North Jersey branch of the club is on borrowed time. In June, Gilda’s Club couldn’t keep up with expenses and was forced to shut down its clubhouse. Facing an economic crisis, the Gilda’s story hit the airwaves, television and radio, and soon a white knight save the day.
"We received the $200,000 donation. That shows how much people think about Gilda’s Club," said Guido. Leonard Stern, chairman of Hartz Mountain Industries, wrote the check that re-opened Gilda’s doors in early June.
"But that’s only going to last us a few months."
With a $600,000 annual operating budget, the club depends solely on contributions and donations to keep afloat. According to Guido, fund-raising efforts have brought in some money of late, but the club still needs to make up a substantial amount of its budget.
Some members and volunteers fear that if another large donation isn’t received, the club might be forced to close for good. Despite that notion looming in the back of their minds, volunteers continue to carry out the club’s mission.
"I still go out into the community and do outreach programs. I can give back what Gilda’s did for me," said Berlinrood. "Without the club, I wouldn’t be talking about survival."
To make a contribution to Gilda’s Club Northern New Jersey, visit www.gildasclubnnj.org or call 201-457-1670. Gilda’s Club is located at 575 Main St. in Hackensack.
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