The Official Modest Needs Blog

You're Going Bankrupt Why?

Do you assume that people who file for bankruptcy are wild spenders, perhaps, or individuals who've been out of work for years?

Increasingly, that's not the case at all.

According to a new study by the American Journal of Medicine, the most common cause of bankruptcy is now medical debt. Perhaps most surprising? Among those people filing for bankruptcy, more than 75% have health insurance. That's right -- 75%.

It's a jarring statistic even to me, despite the fact that I understand better than most people the horrific financial toll that medical problems can take on Modest Needs applicants, between co-pays, deductibles, uncovered procedures, prescriptions, and travel for medical treatment.

In case you'd like to help stop this trend toward bankruptcy for one very grateful individual, here are just a few Modest Needs applications to peruse. Most of the time, we can't do a thing to make someone healthy. But we sure can make a difference when it comes to their bills.

MS - Help with MRI Deductible
Liver Transplant Patient Needs Help
Partial Tongue Removal Surgery

Stepping Up for Rural America

According to the Foundation Center, former President Bill Clinton said recently, "Why do you think people in rural America are so dismal? Because they think that tomorrow is going to be just like yesterday. It's not because they're poor, but because they're stuck in a rut they can't get out of." 

For so many of the applicants who arrive at Modest Needs' door, that rut is the result of a meager, nearly-impossible-to-live-on wage. Furthermore, rural life presents its own particular set of challenges for low-income families, like limited public transportation. With no buses or trains to fall back on, for example, an unexpected car repair can turn catastrophic in no time at all.

I wholeheartedly agree with President Clinton that the families living in our most rural parts deserve a hand up -- and as much financial assistance as we can muster. And that's why I'm extremely proud to report that thousands of Modest Needs grants have gone to recipients living in the countryside. Just take a moment to view our list of pre-qualified applications, and you'll see towns the likes of Copperas Cove, TX, Gaffney, SC, and Fayetteville, PA. 

Sometimes, the most moving applications come from the tiniest little points on the map.

No, We Haven't Forgotten!

So many of you have been calling and emailing to ask if we reached our $100,000 milestone for the June matching grant. I know it has been a few weeks since I mentioned this matching grant, but with my "radio silence" you might have guessed that we've been absolutely SNOWED here in the Modest Needs offices. 

Do you know why? 

Because YES! Thanks to your extraordinary gifts this past June, we did in fact hit that $100,000 mark -- and right in the nick of time. And ever since, we've been disbursing money like crazy!

I hope that you understand the magnitude of this effort. With this donation match, Modest Needs now has a fantastic $200,000 in new funds for low-income families suffering through a short-term financial crisis. $200,000!

I can't thank our donors enough for coming through with so much money in such a short period of time. You continue to amaze and inspire me with your dedication and kindness. 

So on that note, congratulations! And have a wonderful Thursday afternoon.

A Heartwarming Update

One of my very favorite experiences as the founder of Modest Needs comes when I receive an email from a funded applicant, sometimes months or years after his or her check has cleared. Last week one such note arrived, from an applicant who'd received a Bridge Grant a few months ago.

Irene wrote me, explaining that although she was still laid-off, the Modest Needs Bridge grant had put her in a position to make the most of her time off. She'd decided to renew the certification she'd used in a different state to work as a nurse's aide. Today was her New York state exam, and she'd already gotten a job lined up. The layoff might have lasted longer than Irene thought, but thanks to her admirable initiative and your generosity, it also gave birth to an exciting career change. Stories like hers so clearly demonstrate something that's incredibly difficult for me to convey to our donors: the long-term good that a short-term grant can create. Mind you, we're talking about a total life change for Irene... as a result of a UTILITY BILL.

Irene wrote: 

"I could never express my gratitude enough to the donors at Modest Needs. I look forward to being able to make my own donation to help the next person in need. Pay it forward, always."

Application of the Day

My least favorite kind of pain would have to be the toothache. As this applicant so aptly put it, "there are not enough pills in the world to live off with a toothache." And if you've ever had a toothache, this application from a new mother will no doubt affect you the same way it affected me: it made me cringe.

"Since March, I have been experiencing terrible pain all through my face. Sometimes the pain is so bad, my left arm and fingers start stinging...My whole attitude changes, my mind and body literally shut down. Sharp pain constantly shoots through my ears. I have to sleep with a heating pad and oral gel every night. Sometimes I don't even want to wake up."

Can you imagine suffering through that kind of pain every day because you can't afford to get your wisdom teeth extracted?

At this very moment, this application is only 8% of its way toward being funded. I hope that some of you might consider donating a few dollars. What a good feeling it would be to know that your small change could make all that suffering disappear.

Modest Needs' Most Popular Applicant: Single Parents

Did you know that Modest Needs awards the majority of its grants to working single parents -- people engaged in a daily struggle to make ends meet while providing for the physical and emotional needs of, on average, two children?

This applicant, a single mother whose husband had left her and her son last autumn, is just one of hundreds of examples. Six months without a job had set her back to a place where she "couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel," and even though she'd started a new job, utilities were being shut off by the day. She came to Modest Needs on the verge of homelessness, unable to sleep at night, worrying about how she'd get caught up on her mortgage payment.

Modest Needs donors covered that payment, and in so doing, made a profound impact. Here's how she described it, in language as beautiful as it is genuine:

"As I sit here in front of this machine, the tears fall slowly, tears of relief, tears of joy and tears of appreciation for the beautiful gift of your humanity and your kindness. I hope you realize the value of the gift you have given us and the magnitude of the contribution you have made to our lives. My son and I will remain in our home, thanks only to you. Now -- with the security of knowing that our home is safe -- I can put all my energy into my new job and focus on rebuilding all that has been lost during this difficult time and achieving some semblance of normalcy for both my son and my self. God Bless you donors and staff of Modest Needs...God willing we will someday help someone as you have helped us." 

A New Face of the Uninsured

Losing your job means losing your ability to support yourself. But it also means losing something almost as critical: your health insurance.

According to this NPR piece, more and more uninsured middle-class Americans are finding themselves resorting to the community health clinics once reserved for the extremely poor. They're putting off elective surgeries. They're worrying more about the next benefits package than the next salary.

It's a story that we know all too well at Modest Needs. Just take a glance at these three applications, or the dozens of others on our site. Middle-class families aren't just battling to keep food on the table. They're having to battle to stay healthy, too.

COBRA payment for cancer patient
Laid off and Left with an MRI Bill
Any Help Will Be Good - Medical Bill

Modest Needs' Holiday Hours

Modest Needs' offices will be closed tomorrow -- Friday, July 3rd -- in celebration of Independence Day. We will re-open at our usual time on Monday, July 6th.

In the meantime, I wish you all a wonderful and safe 4th of July weekend!

A Very Green Application

These days, energy costs a pretty penny -- not just for us, but for our fragile environment. And so I'd like to give kudos to this applicant, who's doing her best to be not only financially responsible but environmentally conscious as well. 

Because her local utility power grid doesn't pass by her home, the connection fees will run upwards of $10,000. Instead of shelling out all that cash, she's just looking for a few hundred dollars to afford a wind generator to keep her computer (and her livelihood) humming along during the day.

Offering a helping hand to this applicant means doing the same for the planet. Pretty amazing, no?