Kankakee County Branch

Welcome to the Kankakee County Branch

You have reached the Kankakee branch of the Greater Illinois Chapter, serving Kankakee and Iroquois counties. It is estimated that in Illinois, more than 2.1 million adults have doctor-diagnosed arthritis. In the counties that the Kankakee Branch serves, 32.1% of adults have doctor-diagnosed arthritis; another 8.8% of adults with possible arthritis, but have not yet been diagnosed. We are here to help those in need with many programs and services! Check out our site and let us know what you think!

Serving: Kankakee and Iroquois counties

"Please check out our newsletter - Arthritis Awareness! It's packed full of information to help you live a better life with arthritis."

Contact Information

Kankakee County Branch
Provena Med Center East
455 W. Court St., Suite 300
Kankakee, IL 60901

Phone: (815) 937-2461
Fax: (815) 928-6098

Jenn Wilken, Director of Special Events
E-mail: jwilken@arthritis.org

Therese Cardosi, Director of Program & Services
E-mail: tcardosi@arthritis.org

Hours: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Monday through Friday

2008 IMPACT ARTHRITIS SEMINAR

Friday, August 29, 2008

Join us at our 2008 Impact Arthritis Seminar to learn more about Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, new treatments, drug updates, pain management, exercise, diet and ways to stay healthy! You will find information on medical equipment, hospital services, home care, therapy, exercise, research, information on medications and more! More information and the registration form can be found in our Impact Arthritis Brochure

2008 Tea & Fashion Show

Friday, October 17, 2008

Joining Hands to Take Control. Our Tea & Fashion Show is held at the charming Kankakee Country Club in Kankakee, Illinois. Come join in on the fun of fashion, tea, delicacies and deserts, social hour, door prizes and a raffle...more

2008 Junior Ambassadors

Kids Get Arthritis Too! Eleven year old Elli Davis, a sixth grader at Timber Ridge Middle School, looks like any other kid her age, but what you can't tell by looking is that she lives...more

Did you know that arthritis affects nearly 300,000 children (50,000 have JRA)? JRA is the most common form of juvenile arthritis and one of the most common childhood diseases in the United States.

Also suffering from JRA is our youngest Junior Ambassador, Hayley Mitchell from Kankakee. Hayley is an active Second Grader at St. Joseph School in Bradley, IL. She spends her time reading, drawing, riding her scooter, playing with her Littlest Pet Shop and Build a Bears...more

2008 Jingle Bell Run / Walk

December 14, 2008

Get in the spirit this holiday season at the Arthritis Foundation's Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis. Be one of the thousands of runners and walkers who hit the nation's pavements, pathways, and parks this winter to fight the nation's number one cause of disability. Register now!

Arthritis Self-Help Course

Self-help involves the willingness to learn about and to assume responsibility for the daily care of your arthritis. It includes all the decisions you must make and action you take to keep arthritis under control and to stay as independent as possible...more

Arthritis Support Group

The general purpose of arthritis groups is to provide a supportive, non-threatening atmosphere of caring and support in which people with various types of rheumatic diseases and their families can learn to cope...more

Tai Chi for Health

"Tai Chi" from the Arthritis Foundation is designed to improve the quality of life for people with arthritis using Sun style Tai Chi, one of the four major recognized styles of Tai Chi. This style includes agile steps and exercises that may improve mobility, breathing and relaxation. The movements don't require bending or squatting, which makes it easier and more comfortable to learn.

The program itself consists of 12 movements - 6 basic and 6 advanced - a warm up and a cool down. Once becoming familiar with the 12 movements, the program is designed to provide continual challenge by reversing the direction of the movements.

See schedule of Tai Chi classes here.

2009 Arthritis Walk, Saturday, May 2, 2009

Walk with us this spring! The Arthritis Walk is the Arthritis Foundation's annual nationwide event that raises awareness and funds to fight arthritis, the nation's leading cause of disability. It is a tremendous opporturnity to help improve the lives of 46 million men, women and children doctor-diagnosed with arthritis...more

Volunteer Opportunities

Do you enjoy meeting new people? Do you have some free time on your hands and wish you could try something new? Have you ever thought about becoming a volunteer?

Whether you have a lot of time to give or just an hour here or there, your help could be very valuable to the Arthritis Foundation...more