Debt Jubilee Project officially forgave $1,165,798.61 in medical debt owed by 1,356 individuals in Forsyth and Davidson counties, and symbolically burned the list of debts during a special church service on Sunday, September 25, at Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, NC.
The campaign was originally planned to raise $5,000 to purchase and forgive approximately $500,000 in uncollected medical debt in Forsyth County. The campaign was expected to take three months. However, in less than six weeks, the campaign hit its goal, with most donations being $25 or $50. When RIP Medical Debt took the cash to the debt broker, they were able to buy a staggering $1.1 million in debts, about equally split between Forsyth and Davidson counties.
In the coming week, 1,356 households will be receiving official notification of the debt forgiveness.
The church board announced on October 2 that the next phase of the program – raising enough money to forgive approximately $4 million in medical debts owed in Davidson county – will commence immediately. The Project will be seeking partnerships with many area churches to successfully retire the Davidson county debts. If your church would like to partner with us, more information is here.
The plan is to then move to Davie, Yadkin, Stokes, and Guilford counties in turn.
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Featured photo: June Edwards, Vice-Chair of the Board and Pastor John Jackman burn the list of debts. Photo by Debbie Jackman
