How Your Church or Community Group Can Transform Lives by Forgiving Medical Debt

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In 2022, Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, launched a bold initiative to address a pressing community need: crushing medical debt. Partnering with RIP Medical Debt, a New York-based nonprofit, the church began purchasing medical debt at a fraction of its value when it’s offered at auction to third-party collectors. Instead of collecting, they forgive it. Their first campaign erased $1.3 million in debt for over 1,000 local households. A second effort wiped out $3.3 million in Davidson and Davie counties, gaining widespread attention.

A Movement Goes Viral

By April 2023, local news coverage of Trinity’s efforts exploded online, trending on TikTok, Twitter, and Reddit. Major outlets like CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and The New Yorker amplified the story, while France’s La Croix sent a reporter to cover the ministry. The church was flooded with letters, calls, and emails from across the globe, inspired by their compassion.

Inspiring Others to Act

Trinity’s initiative sparked a ripple effect. The Moravian Church Board of World Mission adopted the idea, raising $50,000 in 50 days to forgive medical debt in multiple states and support the Moravian Clinic in Ahuas, Honduras. In New York, Casey McIntire, a young woman battling ovarian cancer, launched a campaign in her final days. After her passing, her husband Gregory raised over $700,000, forgiving $70 million in medical debt in NYC. In Philadelphia, a group of self-described “gutter pagan, mostly queer dirtbags” raised funds to forgive $1.6 million in medical debt for local families.

Over 100 congregations nationwide have since launched their own “Jubilee” projects to tackle medical debt in their communities. By late 2023, Trinity had purchased all available medical debt in Forsyth and surrounding counties, leading them to partner with Raleigh churches to address debts in Wake County. As of early 2024, their efforts have forgiven $14.6 million in medical debt, relieving over 10,000 North Carolina households.

How Your Group Can Make a Difference

Your church or community group can start a similar initiative to help neighbors crushed by medical debt. Here’s how:

  1. Partner with RIP Medical Debt: This nonprofit identifies and purchases medical debt at a discount, allowing you to forgive large amounts with modest funds. They handle the logistics, ensuring debt is erased for those who need it most.
  2. Rally Your Community: Engage your group through fundraising events, donation drives, or special collections. Share stories of those impacted by medical debt to inspire giving.
  3. Spread the Word: Use social media, local news, or community networks to raise awareness and encourage others to join. Trinity’s story shows how visibility can amplify impact.
  4. Start Small, Dream Big: Even modest funds can make a difference. RIP Medical Debt often buys debt at pennies on the dollar, meaning $1,000 can forgive $100,000 in debt.
  5. Collaborate Locally: Partner with other churches, organizations, or community groups to pool resources and expand your reach, as Trinity did in Wake County.

By following Trinity Moravian Church’s example, your group can lift the burden of medical debt, offering hope and financial freedom to struggling families. Start today—your community could be the next to spark a movement.

https://debtjubileeproject.org