DONATE HERE!
UPDATE: (9/27/22)
St. Paul's had a meeting with RIP Medical Debt to find out more about how St. Paul's campaign will impact our region. Click below to learn more!
Exciting Update! (8/31/2022)
Dollar-for-dollar Matching Grant for RIP Medical Debt Campaign!
We're excited to announce that we have received a $15,000 dollar-for-dollar matching grant from an anonymous parishioner!
This will allow us to forgive over $3 million of medical debt locally if we reach our campaign goal. This also means that for every $1 you donate, $2 will go toward alleviating an individual's medical debt in Allegheny County, doubling both the value and impact of your gift. This is an incredible opportunity to maximize our giving and make a direct impact in the lives of so many of our neighbors! Click here to donate now, or scroll down to read more about our campaign.
New Campaign to pay off Medical Debt in Allegheny County - Launching Today August 22, 2022!
Building on the momentum and enthusiasm in our community to serve, the Outreach Commission has been praying and discussing new ways to bring about the kingdom of God that Jesus teaches us about. We have been drawn to the mission of an organization called RIP Medical Debt, which purchases medical debt at a steep discount that can then be "paid off" or forgiven by individuals or organizations. Medical debt is the #1 cause of personal bankruptcy in the US.
According to a recent NPR article, "a quarter of adults with health care debt owe more than $5,000. And about 1 in 5 with any amount of debt say they don't expect to ever pay it off." Just one catastrophic event can destroy the stability of households, causing individuals and families to lose their assets, including their homes.
And we can help.
We have set a lofty goal of raising $17,000 in the next 8 weeks, with every donation allowing us to buy debt in bundled portfolios, millions of dollars at a time at a fraction of the original cost. Reaching this goal would relieve $1.7 million in medical debt in Allegheny County! This is an incredible opportunity for St. Paul's to make an immediate impact in the lives of those around us, aligning with the mission Jesus calls us to - to care for our sick, disabled, and grieving neighbors.
Would you join us by making a donation?
DONATE HERE!
Last day to donate is Saturday, October 15th.
To learn more about the work of RIP Medical Debt, here are a couple helpful links:
Learn about the RIP Medical Debt organization here
Editorial from the Post-Gazette on RIP Medical Debt and their work
Post-Gazette opinion article on medical debt in the U.S.
- RIP Medical Debt - How RIP Works
- Debt Buyers: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
