Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Saratoga, California, has completed a fundraising campaign that resulted in the elimination of $3.37 million in medical debt. The parish collected $18,637 in donations, exceeding its target of $10,000. This effort marks the second consecutive year the church has participated in this specific initiative.
The funds were directed toward 1,416 individuals residing in Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Santa Barbara counties. Rev. Joel Martinez, who initiated the three-month drive, noted that the contributions surpassed his expectations. He described the outcome as freeing people from significant financial hardships.
The church partnered with Undue Medical Debt, a nonprofit established in 2014. This organization purchases medical debt at a fraction of its value and settles it on behalf of the debtors. Recipients are not informed of the payment until after the process is complete, at which point they receive notification that their debt has been cleared.
Martinez stated that many recipients were surprised by this post-facto letter. Donors are also eligible to claim tax deductions for their contributions.
In addition to individual parishioner donations, the Saint Andrew’s Community Grant Fund provided $5,000 toward the campaign. This fund is sustained by parish contributions and revenue from The Echo Shop, a volunteer-run resale store located in downtown Saratoga. The shop has directed 100% of its profits to social service organizations for over 60 years.