Why This Campaign?

There are a lot of resources to help people with RA deal with their symptoms, but not many programs have been developed to harness the desire of people living with a chronic disease to give back, rather than be held back by their disease. Hand in Hand for RA aims to do just that by inspiring people to volunteer and get involved with public service opportunities in their communities.

Aside from the obvious social benefits, volunteering also appears to be good for one’s health! That is good news for the approximately 1.3 million Americans living with RA. Recent research into the benefits of public service has found a connection between volunteering and good health including higher functional ability and lower rates of depression, particularly among older volunteers.

Who Is Involved?

Hand In Hand for RA is a national awareness campaign developed by Genentech and Biogen Idec with grassroots advocacy group CreakyJoints, encouraging people with RA to join a movement demonstrating to others that they are not limited by their conditions, and in fact, want to give back to their communities.

	Founded more than 30 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines to treat patients with serious or life-threatening medical conditions. The company, a member of the Roche Group, has headquarters in South San Francisco, California. For additional information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com.
	Biogen Idec creates new standards of care in oncology, neurology and immunology. As a global leader in the development, manufacturing and commercialization of novel therapies, Biogen Idec transforms scientific discoveries into advances in human healthcare. For product labeling, press releases and additional information about the company, please visit http://www.biogenidec.com.

What Is The Goal?

 Hand in Hand for RA aims to identify and volunteers nationwide and empower them to get involved. They can post their “giving back” stories and photos on www.handinhandforRA.com, which will serve as an online resource for those who want to get involved.

How Can I Get Involved?

To learn more about what you can do in your community, please check out our tips section. Or, if you are a person with RA who is already involved, we’d love to hear you story and have it posted by clicking here.