Heart Foundation and Charities Team Up with Walmart Pay for Donations

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) — The Local Heart Foundation has long depended on contributions to help families such as the Darbonnes cover their medical costs.

"It simply provides complete peace of mind by eliminating the additional stress of wondering where I'll be sleeping tonight or what if I'm unable to enter this particular procedure room," explains Kristi Darbonne.

Starting from 2022, visiting hospitals has become an everyday reality for both her and her husband Casey.

Thanks to the support from the Local Heart Foundation, these expensive trips have become more manageable.

"We had absolutely no conception of just how costly everything could be, and it reaches a point where you feel completely overwhelmed, unsure which way to turn or what steps to take next," explains Darbonne.

The Local Heart Foundation offers financial assistance to heart patients who require treatment from specialists outside their area. These expenses frequently come as an surprise.

"What many fail to grasp is the additional expenses associated with traveling outside our region. You have to account for accommodation, meals, and parking fees at the medical facility, which run about $20 per day. All this while you're still responsible for paying your household bills," explains Stacie Adams from the Local Heart Foundation.

Now, when Walmart customers use the app, they can contribute just by doing so.

"We managed to enroll in Walmart’s roundup program via their app. Whenever you make a purchase using the Walmart app, it rounds up your total to the nearest dollar, and this rounded amount goes to the foundation," explains Adams.

Customers have the option to select a nonprofit to designate as their preferred charity by following this link.

Whenever you check out through the app, this charity will appear each time.

To designate the Local Heart Foundation as your preferred charity, click here .

To see a complete list of all local charities participating in this program, please click. here .