Laredo Volunteers Keep Kidney Foundation Running Since 1977

When a young girl's family donated her organs after a tragic accident in 1977, two Laredo women saw something the rest of the community missed: patients fighting kidney disease had nowhere to turn for help.

Angela Borders and Patsy Sanditen started the Kidney Foundation of Laredo in response. They partnered with local dialysis clinics and became what grant writer Blanca Villarreal calls "a lifeline of hope for those patients battling chronic kidney disease."

Nearly five decades later, the foundation still runs entirely on volunteer power. No government grants. No federal funding. Just community members who refuse to let their neighbors struggle alone.

The volunteers include social workers, dietitians, nurses and doctors who see dialysis patients three times a week for hours-long treatments. They understand that these grueling schedules make it nearly impossible for patients to work, leaving many unable to afford prescriptions and medical bills.

Today the foundation serves more than 900 patients across eleven dialysis centers in Laredo, Zapata and Cotulla. Their four core programs cover nutrition, transportation, emergency bill assistance and medical copay help.

The Ripple Effect

Every dollar the foundation raises goes directly to patient care because volunteers handle everything else. They organize fundraisers, manage programs and stretch limited resources to help as many people as possible.

The model proves that sustained community care doesn't require massive budgets or government support. It requires people who see a need and refuse to look away.

The foundation's current board members are healthcare workers who witness kidney disease's daily toll on their patients. Their insider perspective helps them address the most urgent needs first.

On May 5th, anyone can join the cause at the foundation's annual bowlathon at Jett Bowl North from 6pm to 8pm. It's one of many fundraisers that keep the organization running year after year.

What Borders and Sanditen started as a response to one family's gift of organ donation has touched hundreds of lives across South Texas, proving that volunteer-driven compassion can outlast any funding cycle.