The Joe Martin ALS Foundation

Actively living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a challenge that affects families emotionally and financially.  The high cost of health care, lack of accessible transportation, and insurance restrictions severely limit the independence and quality of life of both patients and their caregivers. 

The Joe Martin ALS Foundation helps families by providing wheelchair accessible transportation, range of motion and exercise sessions, respite care, accessible technology loans and tech support, caregiver support and training, trip planning assistance, and help with many other needs that may arise.  These services are offered at no cost to people with ALS.

Background:

Joe Martin, banking executive, community activist, and ALS patient, envisioned a foundation that could help patients and their families overcome the challenges presented by ALS by offering free home care services.  Mr. Martin’s former health care staff and his family have worked to realize his vision by forming The Joe Martin ALS Foundation in May, 2007.  This foundation is the first organization to offer free home health care services to people living with ALS. The foundation is located in Charlotte, North Carolina.