A third place in the everyday lives of people living with cancer: Functions of Gilda's Club of Greater Toronto

The purpose of this paper was to examine the therapeutic functions of Gilda's Club of Greater Toronto in the everyday lives of people living with cancer. Gilda's Club is a non-institutional setting, where people living with cancer join together to build physical, social, and emotional support as a supplement to medical care. Findings reveal members regarded Gilda's Club as an escape from the stressors of home and hospital, a place where they could meet others living with cancer, and a social environment in which they could confront or distance themselves from their health problems. The paper demonstrates the significance of “third places” for health and calls on researchers to afford such places greater attention.