FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KANKAKEE, Illinois, September 5, 2025 – The national nonprofit, Phil’s Friends, proudly announces the grand opening of its newest Hope Center in Kankakee on September 20, 2025. As a celebration of hope and compassion, this opening marks a significant milestone in the organization’s commitment of providing Christ-centered support to those battling cancer.

The Kankakee Hope Center will be a dedicated space where volunteers can make a difference for a cancer patient by decorating Care Package boxes, coloring Cards of Hope, and assembling Care Packages. Our Care Packages are tangible reminders to these individuals that they are not alone, that there are people who care about them and will walk alongside them through their dark days.

Founder Phil Zielke will begin the festivities with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:30 am, at 240 S. Dearborn. The day will include tours of the new facility, free refreshments, and service opportunities for families. Attendees will also be able to enjoy many hands-on activities, such as coloring Cards of Hope, decorating Care Package boxes and journals, and tying fleece blankets—all of which will go into our Care Packages to deserving cancer patients.

The Kankakee Hope Center joins three other existing Hope Centers (Crown Point, IN, and Addison and Wheaton, IL) and three smaller satellite locations located in The Villages in Florida, Minnesota, and Missouri.

About Phil and Phil’s Friends

 Phil’s Friends was founded in 2006 by Phil Zielke, a two-time Stage 4 cancer survivor. Inspired by a care package, encouraging cards, and on-going prayer he received while undergoing treatment at the University of  Chicago Hospitals, Phil’s Friends now extends the same support to those navigating the difficult journey of cancer.

Since its founding, Phil’s Friends has sent more than 60,000 Care Packages and more than one million Cards of Hope to individuals nationwide. This impact is made possible by dedicated volunteers serving at our Hope Centers and satellite locations, and at special off-site Pack Events hosted by churches, schools, civic groups, and businesses.

Phil—now 44, married, and the father of two young sons—is the author of “Seeing the Good in It,” a nationally sought-after speaker, and a contributor to Moody Radio.

For more information about Phil’s Friends and its mission of serving cancer patients, please visit philsfriends.org.

For information about the Grand Opening, contact Sarah Cherry, Kankakee Hope Center Coordinator, 815-651-6864 or sarahc@philsfriends.org.