How a $60 Donation Can Save a Life

Sixty dollars.

That is the cost of a movie night for two. A tank of gas. A few takeout meals. It is also the exact amount it takes to put a complete Pantry 2 Go Emergency Dialysis Kit into the hands of a dialysis patient who cannot afford one.

At the Renal Preparedness Project, we believe that no one's survival should depend on their income. This is the story of what $60 actually does — and why it matters.

Who Needs These Kits

There are approximately 560,000 Americans currently on dialysis. The majority are on Medicare, which covers dialysis treatment but does not cover emergency preparedness supplies. Many live on fixed incomes. Many are elderly, disabled, or both.

When a disaster strikes — a hurricane, a power outage, a wildfire — these patients face a choice that no one should have to make: spend money they do not have on emergency supplies, or go without.

Going without is not a minor inconvenience. For a dialysis patient, missing treatment for 48 to 72 hours can be fatal. The right food, the right documentation, and the right supplies can mean the difference between surviving a disaster and becoming a casualty of it.

What Is Inside a $60 Pantry 2 Go Emergency Dialysis Kit

Every Pantry 2 Go Emergency Dialysis Kit funded through the Renal Preparedness Project is assembled specifically for dialysis patients. It is not a generic emergency kit. It is designed around the unique medical, dietary, and documentation needs of people on dialysis.

Renal-Friendly Emergency Food

Standard emergency food — granola bars, canned beans, trail mix — is often dangerous for dialysis patients. These foods are high in potassium, phosphorus, and sodium, which can accumulate to dangerous levels when dialysis is missed.

Our Pantry 2 Go Emergency Dialysis Kits include shelf-stable, renal-appropriate food items selected to meet the dietary restrictions of dialysis patients. During a disaster, when a patient may miss one or more sessions, eating the right food can slow the buildup of dangerous electrolytes and reduce the risk of cardiac complications.

Dialysis Emergency Card

This wallet-sized card contains the patient's critical medical information:

• Current dialysis prescription (frequency, duration, type)
• Vascular access type and location
• Dry weight
• Current medications and dosages
• Known allergies
• Emergency contacts
• Primary and backup dialysis center information

In an emergency, this card allows any healthcare provider — an ER physician, a paramedic, a nurse at a shelter — to understand the patient's needs immediately, without waiting for records to be transferred.

Emergency Medication Log

Dialysis patients typically take multiple medications daily. During a disaster, when pharmacies may be closed and prescriptions may be lost, having a complete, up-to-date medication log is essential.

The log included in our Pantry 2 Go Emergency Dialysis Kit provides a structured format for recording all medications, dosages, prescribing physicians, and pharmacy information. It is designed to be filled out in advance and updated regularly.

Fluid Restriction Tracker

Most dialysis patients are on strict fluid restrictions — typically 32 to 48 ounces per day. During a disaster, when stress is high and normal routines are disrupted, it is easy to lose track of fluid intake.

Excess fluid intake between dialysis sessions causes fluid overload, which strains the heart and lungs. Our fluid restriction tracker helps patients monitor their intake even in chaotic circumstances.

Evacuation Planning Worksheet

This worksheet guides patients through the process of creating a personal evacuation plan, including:

• Identifying backup dialysis centers along evacuation routes
• Documenting transportation arrangements
• Recording the location of important documents
• Planning for medication supply during extended displacement

The Gap Between Need and Access

Here is the reality: many dialysis patients know they should be prepared. They have heard the advice. They understand the risks. But they cannot afford to act on it.

A complete Pantry 2 Go Emergency Dialysis Kit — even a basic one — costs money that many patients simply do not have. When you are managing the costs of dialysis, medications, transportation to treatment, and the ordinary expenses of living on a fixed income, a $60 emergency kit is not a priority. It is a luxury.

That is the gap the Renal Preparedness Project exists to fill.

Every donation to our Fund a Kit campaign goes directly toward purchasing and assembling Pantry 2 Go Emergency Dialysis Kits for patients who cannot afford them. There is no administrative overhead eating into your gift. The money goes to the kits.

The Ripple Effect of One Kit

When a dialysis patient has an emergency kit, the benefits extend beyond that individual.

Caregivers are less overwhelmed. Family members and caregivers who know their loved one has a kit — and a plan — face one less crisis to manage when disaster strikes.

Emergency rooms are less burdened. Patients who have the right food and documentation during a disaster are less likely to arrive at an ER in crisis. They are more likely to find their way to appropriate dialysis care before their condition deteriorates.

Communities are more resilient. When vulnerable members of a community are prepared, the entire community's disaster response improves. Fewer emergency calls. Fewer preventable deaths. More resources available for those who need them most.

Stories Behind the Numbers

We do not share patient names without permission, but we can share what we hear.

We hear from patients who live alone, who have no family nearby, who have been told by their care teams to "have a plan" but have never been given the tools to make one.

We hear from caregivers who are exhausted and overwhelmed, who are doing everything they can for their loved ones, and who are terrified of what will happen when the next storm comes.

We hear from dialysis clinic staff who see patients arrive unprepared, who wish they could do more, who are grateful when a patient comes in with a Pantry 2 Go Emergency Dialysis Kit and a plan.

Every $60 donation is a response to those stories.

How to Give

Donating a kit is simple. Visit our Donate page and select the impact tier that works for you:

• $60 — Fund one complete Pantry 2 Go Emergency Dialysis Kit for one dialysis patient
• $120 — Fund two Pantry 2 Go Emergency Dialysis Kits
• $300 — Fund five Pantry 2 Go Emergency Dialysis Kits and help protect an entire family or care circle

You can also donate directly through Cash App at $Dialysiskit.

Every gift, at every level, makes a difference. A $60 donation is not a small thing. For the patient who receives that Pantry 2 Go Emergency Dialysis Kit, it may be the most important $60 anyone has ever spent on their behalf.

Join the Campaign

Our Fund a Kit campaign runs through September 12, 2026. Our goal is to fund Pantry 2 Go Emergency Dialysis Kits for dialysis patients across the country who cannot afford to prepare on their own.

Share this post. Tell someone about the Renal Preparedness Project. And if you can, donate.

Because no one should face a disaster without the tools to survive it.

Donate now and fund a kit →