St. Matthew Church, Orange, New Jersey, set to present sizeable donation to RIP Medical Debt
By Jerry Roberts, 1st Episcopal District (with additional info from TAPinto.net)
On Sunday, May 7, 2023, the congregation of St. Matthew African Methodist Episcopal Church, Orange, New Jersey, under the leadership of the Rev. Melvin E. Wilson, presented a check of $15,000.00 to RIP Medical Debt immediately following their 9:00 AM Sunday morning worship service. This $15,000 donation will eliminate over $1.5 million in medical debt for residents of New Jersey. Rest in Peace Medical Debt is a national non-profit whose sole purpose is to strengthen marginalized communities by abolishing financially burdensome medical debt. The non-profit uses analytics to pinpoint the medical debt of those most in need: households that earn less than four times the federal poverty level (varies by state and family size) or whose debts are five percent or more of annual income.
When asked what makes this moment so special and significant, the Rev. Wilson, Senior Pastor, said, “St. Matthew AME Church has always been a congregation that is concerned about the well-being of members of the community, whether we know them personally or not. We consider this effort to be a part of the fulfillment of the Gospel of Matthew 25, where Jesus implores us that being helpful to others is just like being helpful to him. We have been very involved in addressing the needs of the community before, during, and after the pandemic. This donation continues that focus.”
“The St. Matthew family led by the Rev. Melvin Wilson continues to serve the Oranges in action and indeed,” said West Orange Council President Tammy Williams. “This act of kindness goes far beyond the Oranges and eases the burden of medical debt throughout the State of New Jersey. This example should be followed by many and provides a blueprint for how to erase the financial burden the underinsured face today.”
All 929 households across 18 New Jersey counties will see the impact of their medical debt relieved through this donation. As outlined in his remarks, the Rev. Wilson noted that:
35 recipients in Atlantic County totaling $61,340.86
67 recipients in Bergen County totaling $226,192.15
164 recipients in Burlington County totaling $340,603.28
21 recipients in Cape May County totaling $51,215.36
33 recipients in Cumberland County totaling $45,812.85
62 recipients in Glouster County totaling $96,695
74 recipients in Hudson County totaling $79,255.17
14 recipients in Hunterdon County totaling $84,669.84
123 recipients in Mercer County totaling $242,791.67
74 recipients in Middlesex County totaling $105,291.75
58 recipients in Monmouth County totaling $84,245.30
34 recipients in Morris County totaling $74,858.29
61 recipients in Ocean County totaling $80,486.68
29 recipients in Passaic totaling $50,000.53
12 recipients in Salem County totaling $22,470.92
24 recipients in Somerset County totaling $24,497.84
9 recipients in Sussex County totaling $35,039.02
35 recipients in Warren County totaling $23,401.69
“We will see a day when medical debt is non-existent because the system has changed, but until that day, there is St. Matthews standing in the gap,” said Assemblywoman Britnee N. Timberlake.
