The fundraising began in 2021, when the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri had a budget surplus and decided to give each parish in the diocese a $1,000 check with the direction of using the money for outreach in their communities, according to the report.
The Emery Washington Convocation of the Diocese, which includes 15 parishes in the St. Louis area, chose to partner with RIP Medical Debt. The checks, coupled with other donations from the community, raised more than $25,000, allowing RIP Medical Debt to buy more than $5.5 million in unpaid debts.
