Arthritis Foundation

The mission of the Arthritis Foundation is to support research to find the cure for and prevention of arthritis and to improve the quality of life for those affected by arthritis.

The Arthritis Foundation is the source of help and hope for nearly 40 million Americans who have arthritis. The Arthritis Foundation is the only national voluntary health organization dedicated to finding a cause, cure, and prevention of arthritis as well as providing community programs, including exercise classes, support groups, educational courses, and other services.

The Arthritis Foundation maintains community support and involvement by collaborating with organizations such as; YMCA's, Senior Centers, schools, businesses, health clubs, hospitals, and numerous community-based organizations.

The Arthritis Foundation offers numerous brochures, a monthly newsletter, physician referral lists, and video tape lending library. All programs are free or low cost.

Like Girl Scouts, the Arthritis Foundation relies on volunteers to staff programs and services, and fill roles such as support group facilitators, exercise group leaders, general office assistants, and marketing and promotion of programs and services.

A non-profit organization, the Arthritis Foundation relies on private, corporate, and foundation contributions, fund raising events, and the United Way to support its services programs and research.

The Orange County/Long Beach Branch of the Southern California Chapter provides programs and services to the approximately 410,000 people affected by arthritis in the area.

Bone Builders - from Service to Gold Award Project

Bone Builders was produced as a service project in 1996 by Shannon Locks, a Senoir Girl Scout volunteering with the Arthritis Foundation. More than 180 Girl Scouts from the Greater Long Beach Area Girl Scout Council participated. At that time, Bone Builders was a half day mini-camp to be held at a local park. The Long Beach event was enjoyable and educational for those involved. The success resulted largely from the staff, leaders and volunteers from Long Beach who worked together with Arthritis Foundation staff and volunteers. The concept originated with the Inland Empire Girl Scout Council in Spokane, WA, which shared its materials.

After the Long Beach event, Shannon decided that for her Gold Award Project she would create a leaders' manual which would allow others to share the experiences all had enjoyed in Long Beach.

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. The Gold Award is an independent scout project that combines leadership skills, community involvement, and previous work accomplished throughout the scouting experience.

With the help of the Arthritis Foundation staff in Orange County, and particularly the program director, Phillip Falcetti, encouragement from the Orange County Girl Scout Council, and assistance from the Dairy Council of California, this Bone Builders leader's manual was created as a Girl Scout Gold Award project.

Dairy Council of California (DCC)