Our Programs - Your Dollars Going The Distance

The ALS Association in Greater San Diego has been making a difference in the lives of people with ALS and their families for almost 20 years, coordinating services with care and compassion, ensuring that individuals receive the highest level of support possible to maintain their dignity and independence.

Everything we do — from providing top care at our clinic, to sharing individual grant and scholarship opportunities for people with ALS, to advocating for public policy changes — relies on the donations of our generous supporters. Your investment in The ALS Association will directly provide services for the more than 200 people living with ALS throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties and help fund The ALS Association’s network of researchers who are searching every day for treatments and a cure.

Support For Our Families 
In 2023, we met the needs of over 800 people living with ALS and their families affected by ALS through a variety of services, including special programs for patients and caregivers, home visits and care management, the loan of durable medical equipment, educational resources, and collaborations with our local ALS multidisciplinary clinic at UCSD to help ensure patients receive the highest level of care possible.

Durable Medical Equipment & Communications and Assistive Devices
In 2023, over 445 pieces of Durable Medical Equipment and Augmentative Communication Devices not covered by medical insurance were used by those living with ALS in the Greater San Diego area. Durable Medical Equipment is offered to those living with ALS and their families to foster independence and improve quality of life. Power wheelchairs, tub and shower devices, and transfer discs are just a few of the items available to those we serve. Communications and Assistive Devices allow people who have lost their ability to communicate to borrow items such as LCD writing tablets and speech-generating devices.

Research
Funding from The ALS Association over the past 30 years has contributed to a better understanding of ALS, improved care for people living with the disease, and new treatment approaches in clinical trials, helping to shape a future of unparalleled hope for those with ALS. Currently, we fund 160 active projects in 15 countries, four of those projects in San Diego.

Advocacy
The ALS Association advocates for changes in laws and policies that affect thousands of people living with ALS and their families. ALS Advocates from across the country, including from San Diego, have been instrumental in passing legislation to advance ALS research and to ensure that people living with ALS have access to the healthcare they need and deserve. Advocacy for research, health and long-term care, and caregiver support are among the top priorities of The ALS Association.