Our Legacy & History
For over three decades, Red Door Community has redefined what it means to live with cancer – not just through care, but through connection. What began as one woman’s vision has grown into a model of psychosocial support that has touched tens of thousands of individuals and families. Our legacy is rooted in community and the belief that no one should face cancer alone.
Red Door Community was originally founded as Gilda’s Club New York City in 1995 in memory of the legendary Saturday Night Live comedian, Gilda Radner, who described cancer as membership “in an elite club she’d rather not belong to”. While living on the West Coast early on in her cancer journey, Gilda experienced the power of psychosocial support firsthand – finding friendship, hope, and a renewed sense of control. Before her passing from ovarian cancer in 1989, she expressed her wish for a similar community to open in the East Coast.
Founded by Gene Wilder (her husband), psychotherapist Joanna Bull, Mandy Patinkin, Joel Siegel, and other friends and generous individuals, Gilda’s Club NYC opened its iconic Red Door in 1995 – creating a place where cancer patients and their families could find support, resources, and a caring community.
Its success led to Gilda’s Club Worldwide in 2000, expanding into a national network of clubhouses. In 2009, Gilda’s Club Worldwide merged with The Wellness Community to form the Cancer Support Community.
In 2021, Gilda’s Club NYC became an independent entity – Red Door Community – allowing it to evolve and respond more quickly to the growing needs of the expanding cancer community. The name reflects decades of warmth and belonging experienced by all who walked through its door.
In 2025, following a shift to virtual programming during the pandemic, Red Door Community sold its West Houston Street clubhouse and relocated to a beautiful, sun-lit loft on 114 West 26th Street – continuing its mission in a more adaptable and accessible way.
Gilda’s Inspiration
Gilda Radner, one of the original stars of Saturday Night Live, and ranked among the great comic geniuses of the 20th century, brought humor and humanity to millions. Some of her most memorable characters were Roseanne Roseannadanna, Baba Wawa, Emily Litella and Lisa Loopner. Diagnosed with ovarian cancer In October of 1986, she was introduced to support groups by her psychotherapist Joanna Bull – an experience that profoundly shaped her vision.
In her best-selling memoir, It’s Always Something, Gilda wrote of her hope to create a community like the one that helped her, saying “There should be a thousand of them.”
Though she passed away in 1989, her vision endures. Today, her legacy lives on through the thousands who have been empowered by finding connection and support at Red Door Community. The Red Door remains a powerful symbol – of hope, belonging, and the enduring promise that no one has to face cancer alone.