Phil's Friends Hope Center

Lets make care packages and cards that will be sent to cancer patients in their homes & hospitals. This has always been a fun and meaningful event for us so I hope you will join us.

"Phil Zielke was diagnosed with Stage 4B Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2004. Phil’s Friends began supporting others because of the support he himself had received. In June of 2009, Phil left teaching to devote his time fully to building the organization. Within a few months the organization moved out of Phil's basement and into the community to establish the Phil’s Friends Hope Center. Today, Phil’s Friends engages thousands of volunteers, who in turn, enable the organization to support hundreds of thousands of our friends with cancer across the United States through care packages, Cards of Hope, hospital visits, and prayer."

Once you RSVP yes you will need to fill out on online waiver form and sign up form. Stay tuned for more information on how to sign up with Phil's Friends.

Volunteer activities include:

Stenciling & coloring the outside of the care package box
Completing cards of hope, which are mailed monthly
Packing care packages, which are shipped weekly

Here is their website for more information:
philsfriends.org

Parking Map:https://www.google.com/maps/place/Phil's+Friends+Addison+Hope+Center/@41.9459996,-88.0444547,1051m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x880fadbea9bed4bb:0xd78acc15bb89db6e!8m2!3d41.9459996!4d-88.0444547!16s%2Fg%2F11tn96ztn!5m1!1e2?entry=ttu&gep=EgoyMDI1MDkwMi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Link for Care Package Needs:

https://philsfriends.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/CARE-PKG-NEEDS-FLYER.pdf

Link for Cards of Hope:

https://philsfriends.org/volunteer/cards-of-hope/

Remember that cancer patients are immunocompromised and must have donations that are new and unused. Please check the list in the link above if you want to donate anything. They can only accept the things on the list.

In the email the biggest needs right now are women's hats, small lap blankets, decks of cards (no casino decks) and gift cards to stores like Dollar Tree, Target, Amazon, Walmart, Visa, Hobby Lobby, etc. The cards are not put into the care packages they are used to continue to buy more items for the care packages.

We encourage you to ask your friends, neighbors, loved ones or coworkers if they know of anyone who has cancer that would be blessed by receiving a Phil’s Friends Care Package.

Phil’s Friends care package request form can be found here: Request a Care Package Form
or you can call our office at 224-653-8315.

Please bring any Care Package request form(s) to your event and we will process the request.

We look forward to having you join us at Phil's Friends!

See you there!