Community of Prayer Raised for Members’ Recovery, Employees Volunteer with Clean-up Efforts
MELBOURNE, Fla., Nov. 19, 2024 — Aware of the ongoing financial challenges faced by members living in areas impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Medi-Share has launched a disaster relief fund to help meet the monthly healthcare sharing contributions for members working to recover from the storms. With many Medi-Share employees living in Florida, they also understand the need for onsite help with clean-out, and several have volunteered through the organization’s paid time off program for such efforts.
To-date, 117 Medi-Share members living in the affected areas have applied for assistance in remitting their monthly shares. Fellow members and others have donated more than $78,000 toward those needs. With a third storm bringing additional rainfall to Florida in the coming days, it’s anticipated the number of people needing assistance could continue to increase.
“We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our members, having received tens of thousands of dollars almost as soon as we launched the campaign,” said Dr. Ian Day, Medi-Share Chief Medical Officer. “As we continue to invite people to give, we are also reaching out to our members in the affected areas, informing them of this program should they need to request assistance during this time. Most importantly, we want them to know we are praying for them, as we believe spiritual resilience plays a vital role in both physical healing and trauma recovery.”
Medi-Share most recently, in the wake of Hurricane Ian in 2022, raised more than $44,000, which helped meet the monthly healthcare sharing contributions for more than 50 members’ families in the months following the storm.
In the event donated funds exceed the need, any remaining funds will be used to extend sharing for those in extreme situations on a case-by-case basis. Illustrating Medi-Share’s commitment to healthy communities, one hundred percent of the donated funds will be used for this purpose – no overheard or administrative costs will be collected from these funds.
As a Christian healthcare sharing community, Medi-Share invites its members to walk alongside one another in sharing healthcare burdens – both financially and through prayer. For that reason, a hurricane prayer effort has also been launched, with members who have been hit hardest by the storms sharing specific prayer needs with the Medi-Share community. An army of volunteers has responded, committing to pray regularly for those requests.
Medi-Share employees also volunteered to assist physically in the hurricane clean-out and recovery efforts, expressing gratitude to the organization for making it possible. As Kurt White explained, “not only are we afforded time to serve various causes and organizations, but we are encouraged to do so and paid for that time as well.” With roughly 650 employees nationwide times 3 paid workdays each, that adds up to 15,600 hours of volunteer service, he calculated.
“I am truly thrilled to be working for a company that not only encourages its employees to give back to the community but allows us to do it in such a big way,” said Jennifer Clendinen. “I intend to continue to utilize my missions-focused paid time off like this whenever the opportunity offers itself.”
Her colleague Tracy Gwinn echoed that sentiment. “We are blessed to work in a place that encourages and supports us in making a difference. It’s a great opportunity to venture outside our walls to serve others in Jesus’ name."
Anyone interested in contributing to the hurricane relief fund can find more information and make a donation here.
About Christian Care Ministry/Medi-Share
Christian Care Ministry (CCM), a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Melbourne, Fla., operates the Medi-Share program, a Christian healthcare sharing organization that provides an affordable alternative to health insurance for faith-based consumers. With more than 30 years of sharing, Medi-Share now serves over 355,000 members across America and has earned accreditation from the Independent Healthcare Sharing Accreditation Board. For more information about Christian Care Ministry, visit: https://mychristiancare.org/press.
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Media Contact:
Melany Ethridge
214-912-8934
