Coalition Ambassador CJ Walker started a free monthly craft gathering in her hometown to ease the loneliness that so often comes with chronic illness. Three months in, it's becoming a place to slow down, make something and feel understood.
Two pillows and a full table
When Brielle walked into her first Chronic Craft Club gathering in October, she didn't come alone. The young mom, who lives with a chronic spine condition, brought her infant daughter and her sister along for the afternoon.
By the time they headed home, Brielle was carrying two handmade fall pillows to brighten up her home. Easy, unhurried time like she had that day can be hard to find when you're managing a chronic condition and a toddler at the same time.
That's exactly the experience Coalition Ambassador CJ Walker had in mind when she started the club.
Why CJ started the club
CJ launched the Chronic Craft Club in August 2026 to take on a quieter side of chronic disease: loneliness. Living with an autoimmune, chronic or rare condition can mean canceled plans, long stretches at home and the feeling that few people truly understand what your days look like.
The club offers a different kind of space; one built around community rather than a diagnosis. Participants come together not to explain their conditions, but to sit beside people who already get it, and to connect through the simple act of creating something. The goal is for everyone who walks in to feel seen.
"I started the Chronic Craft Club because very few medical support groups exist in our area, and I wanted to create a space where we don’t just discuss our medical conditions – that's where the crafting comes in. Crafting connects people from all walks of life and has no boundaries or limits. It’s calming and relaxing, which exactly the type of atmosphere I try to create in this space.”
Come as you are, craft at your own pace
There's no pressure at a Chronic Craft Club gathering. Participants are invited to slow down, breathe, and settle in however their body and energy allow that day.
Some bring a project they're already working on. Others join a guided activity. Recent projects have included identity collage frames and no-sew pillows. Every session is free, and all supplies are provided, so cost and prep are never a barrier to showing up. As Brielle's visit shows, family members are part of the welcome, too.
“I want people to know while managing a medical condition can be isolating and exhausting, that they are not alone on their health journey. I want people to leave feeling better than when they arrived, confident in navigating their health journey because they know they have a supportive community and have learned a new hobby while they were here.”
Join the Chronic Craft Club
The Chronic Craft Club meets monthly at the VCU Health Hub in Richmond, Virginia. It's open to adults living with autoimmune, chronic and rare conditions; no crafting experience needed. CJ is also launching a virtual craft club in January 2027. For upcoming dates and details, visit the Chronic Craft Club website or follow the club on Facebook and Instagram.
CJ’s new book, Creative Peace: Crafting Through Chronic Days, is a compassionate guide offering low-energy craft projects, practical tips, and encouraging reflections for anyone navigating chronic illness, pain, or fatigue. It helps readers find self-expression, peace, and purpose without pressure, making creative wellness approachable even on hard days. It is available on Kindle and will be available in paperback soon!
CJ's work is a reminder of what the Chronic Disease Coalition's ambassadors do every day: turn lived experience into support for others.