East Tennessee Kidney Foundation

10/16/2026

🎶🤠 A LITTLE DOLLY, A LITTLE WILLIE, AND A WHOLE LOT OF FUN! ❤️

What an AMAZING afternoon celebrating with our wonderful friends and community partners at Nuclear Care Partners right here in Oak Ridge!

And can you believe it?! They even had Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson look-alikes singing and entertaining everyone! 🎤🎸 Talk about bringing some country music magic to East Tennessee!

We had such a fantastic time filled with laughter, great music, wonderful people, and plenty of smiles!

At the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation, we are so grateful for the relationships we continue to build with organizations like Nuclear Care Partners. It's these partnerships and the incredible people behind them that make our East Tennessee community so special.

Thank you, Nuclear Care Partners, for inviting us to be part of such a fun and memorable afternoon! ❤️

10/15/2026

💃🕺 DANCING WITH THE STARS… AND A COMMUNITY FULL OF HEART! ❤️✨

What an incredible evening celebrating the power of COMMUNITY!

Tonight, we were truly honored to be part of United Way of Loudon County's Dancing with the Stars – Season 2 at The Venue in Lenoir City!

While the dancing, entertainment, and excitement made for a wonderful evening, what touched our hearts most was knowing WHY everyone came together.

At the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation, we see firsthand how much organizations like United Way mean to the people and families we serve.

As a small but mighty nonprofit with a staff of just TWO, we know that we cannot do this work alone. It takes partnerships, generosity, compassion, and an entire community willing to come together to make a difference.

United Way of Loudon County is more than a community partner to us. They are part of the reason we can continue bringing HOPE to East Tennesseans fighting kidney disease. ❤️

To everyone who danced, volunteered, sponsored, organized, and supported tonight's event, THANK YOU! Your generosity reaches far beyond the dance floor and into the lives of neighbors who need us most.

We are incredibly grateful to be part of this community and even more grateful for the relationships that allow us to serve it.

Because when a community comes together, incredible things happen. And tonight was a beautiful reminder of that.

❤️ 100% LOCAL. 100% INDEPENDENT. ALWAYS INSPIRED BY HOPE.

10/15/2026

❤️ SOMETIMES, TWO PEOPLE JUST NEED AN ARMY OF CARING HEARTS.

Today was a day we will never forget at the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation. Our FIRST Day of Caring at our office, made possible by the incredible United Way of Anderson County, reminded us just how blessed we are to be surrounded by a community that truly cares.

We had the privilege of welcoming some amazing volunteers from Acato Information Management and Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), who generously gave their time to help us organize our growing office and create something incredibly meaningful: handwritten cards of encouragement for dialysis patients across East Tennessee. ❤️

Those cards may seem like a small gesture, but to someone facing the physical and emotional challenges of dialysis three days a week, a few words of kindness can mean more than we may ever know.

We are a staff of just TWO. Two people with big hearts, big dreams, and an even bigger mission. But the truth is, we simply cannot do this alone. It takes an ARMY of volunteers, community partners, supporters, and people willing to give a little of themselves to make a difference in someone else's life.

And today, that army showed up for us. ❤️

To United Way of Anderson County, Acato Information Management, and Oak Ridge Associated Universities: THANK YOU. Not just for the work you accomplished, but for the kindness, encouragement, and HOPE you brought into our office.

We will never forget our first Day of Caring, the people who made it so special, or just how much it meant to our little team of two.

Today, you didn't just help us get things done. You reminded us that we are not doing this alone.

And that means EVERYTHING. ❤️

Small Staff. BIG Mission. An ARMY of Caring Hearts.

10/14/2026

💚 JUST ANOTHER WEDNESDAY AT ETKF!

Ever wonder what a typical day looks like for a nonprofit with a staff of just TWO? Well, here's a little glimpse into our Wednesday!

We started our morning at the United Way of Greater Knoxville, connecting with incredible community partners serving Claiborne, Jefferson, Grainger, Knox, and Union counties. Every relationship we build creates another opportunity to help our neighbors across East Tennessee.

Our afternoon was spent talking with Scott Payne from CONTACT Care, a primary answering center for the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline, serving 15 of Tennessee's 95 counties. We had a wonderful conversation about the importance of mental health, community resources, and making sure people know where to turn when life gets difficult.

🥗 We also connected with one of our favorite nutrition professionals, Summer Smith with Kickoff, to explore ways to help one of our kidney patients who needs personalized dietary guidance. Sometimes, making a difference starts with simply knowing the right person to call and having a community partner willing to help!

❤️ At the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation, our work goes FAR beyond kidney disease.

Our patients face challenges that don't end when they leave the dialysis clinic. Whether it's transportation, nutrition, mental health, financial hardships, or simply finding someone who can help, we believe every challenge deserves our attention.

That's why we spend so much time building relationships, connecting resources, and finding new ways to make life a little easier for those we serve.

We may be a team of just TWO, serving 25 counties across East Tennessee, but our passion, determination, and commitment to our neighbors are so much bigger than our staff size!

And this was just a random Wednesday! Tomorrow will bring new challenges, new opportunities, and more reasons to keep doing what we love.

💚 Small Team. BIG Mission. Always Inspired by HOPE.

10/12/2026

💚 BECAUSE FINDING HELP SHOULDN’T BE HARD.

25 Counties. One Community. A World of Resources.

At the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation, we believe that helping someone living with kidney disease goes far beyond their medical treatment. Sometimes, the greatest challenges happen outside the dialysis clinic.

That's why we've developed a dedicated Community Resource Page, connecting individuals and families across our 25-county East Tennessee service area with organizations and programs that can make a difference.

Looking for assistance? Our Resource Page can help connect you with:

❤️ Health + Wellness — Resources to support your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

🏠 Housing Assistance + Household — Organizations offering housing support and help with essential household needs.

🤝 Mentorship, Coaching + Budgeting — Programs offering guidance, financial education, and support for greater stability.

💡 Utilities — Resources that may help families manage essential household utility expenses.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Our resource directory is organized by county, making it easier to find assistance close to home.

At ETKF, our mission is about more than kidney disease. It's about removing barriers, strengthening our communities, and making sure our East Tennessee neighbors know that help and HOPE are within reach.

🔗 EXPLORE OUR COMMUNITY RESOURCES:
https://www.etkidney.org/resources/

📣 PLEASE SHARE THIS POST! You never know who among your friends, family, or neighbors might need one of these resources today.

100% Local. 100% Independent. Inspired by HOPE. 💚

10/08/2026

We had an amazing time on Living East Tennessee yesterday sharing one of ETKF’s longest-running programs — Volunteer Your Ride — alongside our incredible partners, Justin and Tiffany Phillips of Powell Auction & Realty! 🚗💚

This program has been helping East Tennesseans for 16 years, but there’s a good chance you may have never heard about it.

🚗 TURN YOUR VEHICLE INTO HOPE.

Have a car, truck, boat, motorcycle, RV, or other vehicle you no longer need? Donate it through Volunteer Your Ride, and Powell Auction makes the process simple.

And here’s what makes this program so special:

Unlike many national vehicle donation programs, 100% of the sold price stays LOCAL.

Your donated vehicle helps ETKF provide critical programs and resources for people living with kidney disease across 25 East Tennessee counties.

One vehicle you no longer need can become transportation to dialysis, patient assistance, and HOPE for someone right here in our community.

A huge thank you to Living East Tennessee, Justin, Tiffany, and the entire Powell Auction team for helping us spread the word.

💚 Donate a vehicle. Keep your impact local. Give HOPE.

10/07/2026

🧢 WEAR YOUR SUPPORT. SHARE HOPE. ❤️

Our new ETKF Branded Bills Rope Hats are here!

For a $50 donation, you can get your very own bold red ETKF hat with a classic white rope accent — while supplies last!

Whether you’re on the golf course, at the lake, hiking East Tennessee, or just wearing it around town, this is a great way to represent ETKF and the patients we serve.

Best of all, your donation stays local and helps support East Tennesseans living with kidney disease.

❤️ Look good.
❤️ Give hope.
❤️ Make a local difference.

$50 donation | Limited quantity available

Get yours before they’re gone!

10/06/2026

It may seem like something small—a sign on a door. But to us, it means the world. 💚

After 16 years of serving East Tennessee, the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation has a place to call home.

A place where patients can sit down with us and feel welcomed. Where our dialysis social workers can meet with us to find solutions. Where community partners can stop by, share ideas, and help us plan for the future of kidney care in East Tennessee.

Seeing our name on that door fills our hearts with gratitude. Behind it is the generosity of so many people who believed in our mission and helped make this possible.

To everyone who donated, encouraged us, lent a hand, or helped turn this space into a home—thank you. This milestone belongs to you, too.

Small sign. Big feelings. A home filled with hope. 💚

10/05/2026

🧡 Fresh ideas. Big hearts. Volunteer spirit!

ETKF has had the honor of being a student project at the University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business this semester, working with Micah, Amayah, and Kailey on our Volunteer Your Ride Program!

We were amazed by their creative ideas and loved the new reel they created for us—which is now featured on our website! Their energy, thoughtfulness, and hard work are helping us share how a donated vehicle can make a difference for East Tennesseans living with kidney disease.

Micah, Amayah, and Kailey—thank you for sharing your talents and putting your hearts into this project. We are so grateful for each of you! 🧡🚗

Check out their reel and learn more:
https://www.etkidney.org/volunteer-your-ride/

10/04/2026