American Kidney Fund and Food & Friends, Inc. Partner to Support DC-Area Residents with Kidney Disease for Meal Deliveries, Patient Financial Assistance and Kidney Disease Education

ROCKVILLE, Md. (Aug. 29, 2024) — Today, the American Kidney Fund (AKF) and Food & Friends, Inc. announced a new partnership that will support residents of the Washington, DC metropolitan area who are living with kidney disease. Through this partnership, Food & Friends, a community-based organization that provides home-delivered medically tailored meals and medical nutrition therapy to people living with serious illnesses, will deliver specially individualized meals or groceries to people living with kidney failure who are served by AKF's financial assistance programs. 

With a shared goal of supporting people with kidney disease and helping them live healthier lives, AKF and Food & Friends will work together to increase awareness of the support services they each provide and supply patients with important information on kidney health.

"For people living with kidney disease, making healthy food choices is a critical aspect of managing their condition, in keeping with the philosophy of food as medicine," said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF President and CEO. "AKF is proud to join forces with Food & Friends, who share our belief that everyone should have access to nutritious meals. We are so pleased to collaborate with Food & Friends to improve the lives of people in the local kidney community." 

As part of the partnership, AKF will share information about Food & Friends services to people with kidney disease and renal professionals in the DC metropolitan area, while Food & Friends will provide information about AKF resources such as the AKF Safety Net Grant Program, which helps people afford health care expenses that aren't typically covered by insurance, such as transportation to and from dialysis, over-the-counter medicines and more. AKF will also collaborate with Food & Friends on educational materials and programs, and Food & Friends will provide nutrition counseling by registered dietitians to eligible patients as needed.  

"We are thrilled to embark on this partnership with the American Kidney Fund. For the neighbors we serve living with kidney disease, our medically tailored meals, groceries, and nutrition counseling are a critical lifeline of support," said Carrie Stoltzfus, MPH, Food & Friends Executive Director. "By expanding the reach of our nutrition services through our work with AKF, we will empower more neighbors across the DC region to better manage their renal disease and improve their quality of life."

About the American Kidney Fund

The American Kidney Fund (AKF) fights kidney disease on all fronts as the nonprofit with the greatest direct impact on people with kidney disease. AKF works on behalf of 1 in 7 Americans living with kidney disease, and the millions more at risk, with an unmatched scope of programs that support people wherever they are in their fight against kidney disease — from prevention through transplant. AKF fights for kidney health for all through programs that address early detection, disease management, financial assistance, clinical research, innovation and advocacy. AKF is one of the nation's top-rated nonprofits, investing 97 cents of every donated dollar in programs, and holds the highest 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator for 21 consecutive years and the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, formerly known as GuideStar. 

For more information, please visit KidneyFund.org, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About Food & Friends

Food & Friends is the only community-based organization in the D.C. region providing home-delivered medically tailored meals and medical nutrition therapy to our neighbors living with cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other serious illnesses. Food & Friends' services are free of charge to recipients who qualify solely based on their health status and nutritional needs, including for their dependents and caregivers. Monday-Saturday, including holidays, staff and volunteers deliver to 6,172 square miles including the District of Columbia, nine counties in Maryland, and seven counties and six independent cities in Virginia. Since 1988, Food & Friends has delivered more than 30 million meals to 47,000 individuals.

For more information, visit FoodAndFriends.org or on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.