Tragedy, triumph have formed pair into leaders in local community
Staff writer: The Huntsville Times

A woman’s commitment to herself, her community, and to other women is often seeded with a very personal story. Whether borne from tragedy or triumph, the resulting dedication can change lives.

For two Huntsville women, that has proven to be the case.

Linda Spalla and Eunice Walker are each well known for the influence they have had on other women. Each is also often recognized for her own strengths and success as a woman.

“ If I were any more of a woman you couldn’t stand me,” says Eunice Walker.

As a 16-year survivor of breast cancer, she is also the owner of Special Touch by Eunice. The business is dedicated to providing a full line of products and services for women diagnosed with breast cancer and those going through chemotherapy.

She knows what it’s like to question the validity of your womanhood when facing the many effects of cancer. She says most women are terrified having a mastectomy will make a difference in their lives but especially to a husband or boyfriend.

“ You are still a woman,” says Walker. “Cancer, the big C, is not a death sentence. Many women continue to lead healthy, full lives.”

This is the message Walker works hard to get across to the women she meets. Through pre-surgery consultations, she says she also tries to alleviate fears.

“ So many women think breast cancer is a killer,” she says. “Women in this situation have so many questions that go unanswered. Because I’ve been there, I can answer those questions, every one of them. I’ve been through the whole nine yards.”

Walker is bringing her message and her hope to the Women’s Expo. She’ll be speaking to women during a special presentation.

“ My message is always inspirational and motivation, “ Walker says. “It’s about hope for women and knowing you can recover from anything. It applies to everything in our lives.”

Walker says she is dedicated to promoting recovery and helping women maintain their feminine self-esteem. Through the survival of her own very personal tragedies, she says she has a ministry and a purpose for her life.

Her commitment to others is what makes Walker a special woman. Her passion for giving is also shared by Linda Spalla.

“ Giving back is what it’s all about,” says Linda Spalla. “The community has been very good to me over the years and I feel a compulsion to give back.” Staying true to her word she has spent the last eight years serving on the board of directors for United Way, including serving as chairman. She continued her commitment even after retiring from her position as CEO of WHNT-19.

For Spalla, her love for serving the community is something she grew up with.

“ I had parents who lived those values, which were deeply instilled in me,” she says. “Leaders don’t just retire and go away; they continue to give of themselves and their expertise at different levels of leadership and opportunity.”

Being involved with United Way has allowed her to maintain those values. She has also been able to reach out and help many different organizations throughout the community. It’s one of the benefits of working with such a broad=sweeping agency, and she says she is grateful for the opportunity to work with so many outstanding community organizations.

In the last tow years, Crisis Services is one non-profit she has gotten a chance to better understand. Spalla has served as the official United Way liaison to the organization as part of a recent initiative.
“ In 2001, the United Way Board started an agency advocate program whereby members of our board were assigned to a United Way agency as a liaison,” she says. “The goal was to build better relationships with our partner agencies. We were expected to attend their board meetings and answer questions that might arise about their United Way partnership.” Spalla says it was also just a way to better understand and assess how each of the United Way agencies was carrying out their mission.

“ My assignment was Crisis Services,” says Spalla. “Because I am retired and had the time, I was able to make most of their meetings over the two-year period. I immediately fell in love with the people and their cause, the prevention of domestic violence.”

Through her official assignment to Crisis Services has ended, Spalla spent enough time with the organization to better understand its needs and the challenges it faces.

“ Like all of our United Way agency partners, CSNA is facing a financial crunch,”” she says. “The services they offer are all free, 24/7, 365 days a year. Last year, their funding from the state was cut by over $300,000 due to no fault of their own. This made continuing all of their programs impossible, and the shelter for victims of domestic violence in Marshall County had to be closed.”
She says the organization has worked to figure out how to make up the deficit, like all of the agencies are having to do. “There are some creative fund-raising projects out there, with much hard work going on,” says Spalla. “The Women’s Expo is one of those projects.”

The message she wants more people to embrace is the realization that so many good causes need public support.

“ Organizations need experienced support and guidance,” she says. “All the wonderful years of experience and seasoning that I gleaned in the work world can new be turned toward trying to help the non=profit world like United Way and Crisis Services of North Alabama.”

She says she is hopeful others in the community will follow her lead.

Both Spalla and Walker will be at the 2003 Women’s Expo to share their personal stories and offer words of encouragement and advice to women. Walker will speak at the Expo and she and the staff from Special Touch by Eunice also plan to offer custom fittings for bras.

“ Mastectomy or not, a lot of times women wear the wrong bra size. It makes a difference,” Walker says.

Spalla will be offering a morning and afternoon session to discuss successful leadership skills for women based on “Leading Ladies,” her newly released book.

“ The Women’s Expo is a day for women to relax, learn, get inspired and play,” says Spalla. “I certainly hope that all ladies will come out in force on June 21.”

Published in the Huntsville Times; Sunday, June 15, 2003 in the Women's Expo “A Gift to Yourself" insert