Champion Spotlight: Lisa Van Lieshout - Gilda's Club Madison (original) (raw)

September 30, 2024September 30, 2024 Champion Spotlight

Lisa volunteering at Festa Italia 2024

Like many Gilda’s Club volunteers and supporters, Lisa has a personal connection to cancer. Her mom is a two-time breast cancer survivor, but before her mother’s diagnosis, her family experienced childhood cancer. Her younger brother Jeffrey was diagnosed with brain cancer when he was just 9 years old and Lisa was 11.

“My family had so much support from family, friends and the community, and thankfully my dad had a job that offered excellent insurance. We were also close to top notch medical facilities, but my brother’s diagnosis still brought my family to its knees,” Lisa remembers.

Sadly, Jeffrey passed away from his cancer two years later. Lisa remembers the devastation at that time, and recalls, “I think we did the best we could, but Gilda’s Club would have been really helpful for not only my family, but Jeffrey’s friends who were dealing with death at such a young age.”

Finding ways to give back

Years later, in 2009, Lisa had recently changed jobs and finished her MBA. She had more time on her hands, so decided to look into volunteer opportunities. “I come from a long line of family members that have given back to their respective communities and I wanted to continue that,” she explains. When she learned about Gilda’s Club, she realized it checked all of her boxes: A mission that she cares about, plus volunteer opportunities on evenings and weekends.

Since becoming involved with Gilda’s Club, Lisa has been a Saturday morning greeter, has volunteered at member socials like Festa Italia, has volunteered at our Signature Events like our recent Red Doors Golf Outing, and has served on the Gilda’s Club Development Committee for several years. We greatly appreciate Lisa’s willingness to pitch in wherever she can.

Leaving a legacy

In addition to her volunteerism, Lisa has supported Gilda’s Club philanthropically for many years. She is a member of the Red Door Society, a three-year giving society whose members help us plan financially and make sure that there is never a waiting list for our programs.

She is also a member of the Gilda’s Legacy Circle. This loyal group of supporters have included Gilda’s Club in their estate plans, so that they will continue to support our mission even after they are gone. “At the end of the day, there are a few things that are really important to me, and the Gilda’s Club mission is one of them,” Lisa explains.

Throughout the years, Lisa has witnessed the Gilda’s Club programs expand and reach more people in the community. She speaks to the variety of options available based on what different people need…from yoga to support groups to art workshops to virtual options. “It’s very accessible to everyone,” she explains.

“Almost everyone’s been impacted by cancer. And there’s a mental health component that you can’t get anywhere else,” Lisa continues. “It touches a lot of people in the community.”