Volunteers Kathy Grigg, Margaret Ledford, Jimmy Bridges, and Ray Ledford.

Volunteers with the Cleveland - Rutherford Kidney Association load their vehicles with gifts for their annual Christmas for Needy Patients Program. Gifts this year include multiple boxes of clothing, food, personal items, and paper products. This is the beginning of the 40th year of the Association service to victims of kidney failure in the Cleveland and Rutherford County areas. This year gifts are distributed to patients in all six of the clinics in our area.

The Association wants to extend a special "thank you", to all those people whose donations have made these services available.

"We have almost completely depleted our food pantry and clothes closet to help make this Christmas season a little happier for our patients", said Michelle Hoyle. "However, the needs of our patients do not end with Christmas," she added. "Kidney failure is a devastating, never ending, disease. It requires a continuing programs of dialysis therapy and an awesome amount of medication to keep patients alive."

"We are already getting started for next year. Donations of food and clothing are always needed: funds for medicines and transportation to dialysis are an absolute necessity to keep our life saving programs going. The only long term "cure", for kidney failure is organ transplantation. The eligibility requirements and the availability of transplanted kidneys is becoming more difficult due to the growing demand for them. There are over 3,000 people on the waiting list for kidneys. Out of pocket costs are increasing as well', added Mrs. Hoyle.

"We have managed to provide assistance to our patients for 39 years and with God's help, we hope to continue indefinitely. Mrs. Hoyle concluded.