Alabama Kidney Foundation appeals for local support; commissioners announce donations

Representatives of the Alabama Kidney Foundation told the Montgomery County Commission on April 8 that demand for their assistance has risen sharply and asked for continued local support.

Shannon Morell, identified in the meeting as the regional director for the Alabama Kidney Foundation, told commissioners the nonprofit has expanded the scope of financial help it provides to dialysis patients and is now covering rent and other daily-living costs in some cases. “We are helping people pay for their rent. That's something that we've never had to do,” Morell said, describing an increase in need since 2021.

Becky (Alabama Kidney Foundation state office staff) said the organization had increased aid “25% to 30%” in the past year and has expanded per-person assistance beyond its emergency fund. She described the foundation’s transportation support model: the nonprofit reimburses patients for travel expenses to clinics rather than operating a dedicated vehicle network.

Commissioners thanked the speakers. During the public-comment segment, several commissioners announced $2,000 donations from designated funds to support the foundation’s local walk and assistance programs; the transcript records multiple $2,000 contributions announced during the meeting but does not link every amount to a full name in the record.

Shannon Morell and other representatives invited commissioners to the Montgomery walk on May 3 at Riverwalk Biscuit Stadium and asked the commission to continue community support as the foundation expands aid to meet growing demand.