Make a Donation

When you donate your time or money to Arthritis Services, you are directly supporting your community. All of our resources stay right here in Mecklenburg, Union and Cabarrus Counties.
You can use our secure paypal server to make a donation today!

How does your contribution make a difference? Every penny put into this agency goes back into our community to help someone suffering from the demands of a chronic painful illness. Every little bit helps to improve the health of our community.

• $10.00 provides a risk assessment/peripheral bone density screening for a person identified at high risk with no income to afford such preventative screenings.
  Arthritis Services launched the Peripheral Bone Density screening program in 2001. Focus grant funds from the United Way of Central Carolinas were used to purchase the Sahara Hologic Bone Sonometer. Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones bcome weak and can break very easily, perhaps just from sneezing. Over 3000 screenings have been done since tha ttime, alerting Mecklenburg County residents to their risk for osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a major public health problem, affecting as many as 44 million Americans age 50 and over. For more information, please visit the National Osteoporosis website. www.nof.org
  
  
• $25.00 provides one mental health therapy session for a person suffering with the emotional demands of having a chronic illness.
  Studies show that depression, stress and anxiety increase pain perception. If you can improve your sense of control and mental well-being, your perception of pain may be lessened and you may feel better even if the physical causes of the pain don't change. Mental health therapy can be one of the best forms of treatment when a person is dealing with all the demands of living with a chronic illness like arthritis or fibromyalgia. A local resource for mental health needs: www.mhacentralcarolinas.org.
  
  
• $50.00 provides 12 group sessions of physical therapy for one participant in the Community Arthritis Project in diverse underserved areas of Mecklenburg County.
  Exercise is an extremely important thing to do with any type of arthritis. People who suffer from arthritis and who engage in some form of regular exercise report less pain, have more energy, and sleep better than those who don't exercise. Participants in the CAP, sponsored by Arthritis Services reported a 23% improvement in physical fitness after participation in the program for 12 weeks.
  
  
• $100.00 provides a month of individual (4 sessions) mental health counseling for a person suffering with the emotional demands of having a chronic illness.
  
  
• $500.00 provides a support group facilitator for one year for individuals having trouble understanding their pain and how to cope with it.
  
  
• $1,500.00 provides 24 physical therapy classes for 30 participants in an underserved location in Mecklenburg County.
  Improving access and availability of public health interventions aimed at improving
  quality of life among persons with arthritis through lifestyle changes and disease self-management may help lessen the long term impact (Arthritis and Rheumatism, January 2006).

Thank you for helping us provide services to this community!