KidOne
April 11, 2025
Liz Foshage “They found us”: An Alabama nonprofit’s connection to the Ascension Foundation
In many of the rural Alabama counties that KidOne Transport System serves, quality healthcare can feel completely out of reach.
First, there are fewer providers, and clinics may only be open a few days per week. Residents of rural communities are also less likely to have insurance than those in urban areas. Finally, there’s transportation.
“You can have healthcare facilities. You can have insurance. But if you don’t have transportation in rural Alabama, and it’s 30 miles away, it might as well be 1,000 miles away,” said Matt Holdbrooks, president of KidOne.
That’s where Holdbrooks’ organization comes in. Operating 19 vehicles across 38 of Alabama’s 67 counties, KidOne provides safe, reliable transportation so expectant mothers and children can reach their medical appointments, which may be the next county over or a couple of hours away.
A child who needs dialysis in Alabama, for example, will likely have to travel to a Birmingham, Ala., hospital for treatment, whether they live a few miles from the facility or in a county next to Tennessee. KidOne is ready to help in either scenario.
Holdbrooks used Ascension Foundation funds to advance a key organizational priority – retaining and attracting the talent necessary to provide this vital service. The Foundation’s support allowed him to move quicker, without cutting into other strategic needs.
Holdbrooks used Ascension Foundation funds to advance a key organizational priority – retaining and attracting the talent necessary to provide this vital service. The Foundation’s support allowed him to move quicker, without cutting into other strategic needs.
“Healthcare access is a challenge, not just in Alabama, but throughout the nation,” he said. “That’s why I applaud these guys. They come in and they’re trying to find the solutions.”
