Corporate and Individual Donors Step Up to Support American Kidney Fund Hurricane Ida Disaster Relief Program

ROCKVILLE, Md. (September 3, 2021)  — When Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana on August 29, the American Kidney Fund (AKF) mobilized its longstanding Disaster Relief Program to help kidney patients in crisis, providing $22,000 to more than 110 dialysis and post-transplant patients facing critical needs. This support has been made possible by generous donations from the public, Chinook Therapeutics, Inc. and other corporate supporters.

Power outages, evacuations and temporary dialysis clinic closures put kidney patients in extremely challenging circumstances, on top of the immediate threat of the storm. Contributions to AKF's Disaster Relief Program are making it possible for AKF to support patients with emergency grants of $200 each to help them replace lost medications and special renal diet foods, pay for temporary housing and transportation to treatments, and replace clothing and personal essentials lost due to the disaster or the need to evacuate with short notice.

Louisiana dialysis and recent kidney transplant patients who need emergency financial help should contact a social worker at their dialysis clinic for information on applying for aid or apply directly at gms.KidneyFund.org.

"We are very grateful to Chinook Therapeutics and our many other supporters for their generosity that has made emergency relief possible for so many Louisianans struggling to remain safe, while continuing their life-sustaining treatments," said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF President and CEO. "Disasters like Hurricane Ida are particularly challenging for people with kidney failure, especially when they hit in the middle of a pandemic that has put these patients at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 for the past year and a half. We thank the supporters who are enabling us to provide this much-needed assistance."

AKF is covering 100% of the cost of emergency grant processing and check distribution to ensure that the maximum number of patients can receive desperately needed support. AKF expects the number of grant requests to increase in the coming weeks as Louisianans regain power, cell service and access to basic everyday needs, and can begin to return home and to their regular dialysis clinics.

Charity Navigator has listed AKF as one of the highly rated nonprofits providing Hurricane Ida relief. AKF is one of only three nonprofits in the nation to have received the top 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator for 19 consecutive years — every year the organization has been rating nonprofits — giving donors the confidence that their contributions will be used to maximum efficiency. To make a contribution to AKF's Disaster Relief Program to assist kidney patients affected by Hurricane Ida, visit AKF's online donation page.