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Alongside of several Board Members, Debra Korluka cuts the ribbon for the Lyn Olson Medical Crisis Program. Photo courtesy of Greg Schultz, Pictures Over Stillwater.
February 19, 2019. The Lyn Olson Medical Crisis Program (MCP) is a non-profit 501c(3) organization designed to support individuals and their families who are struggling with financial obligations due to a medical crisis. The organization was formed in 2014 in memory of Lyn Olson, who was stricken with a very aggressive form of cancer. A medical crisis can happen to anyone, and this non-profit is designed to assist those in need with funds and support who are not eligible for other medical support programs, and generally fall between 75-90% of the area median income. The past two years MCP has issued ten $1,000 grants each year and continues to strive for more. The Board of Directors reviews applications on a regular basis which must meet the defined criteria. Grants are paid out directly to vendors, not the applicate applying for the grant.
Medically related bankruptcies have been rising steadily for decades. In 1981, only 8% of families filing for bankruptcy cited a serious medical problem as the reason, while a 2001 study of bankruptcies in five states by the same researchers found that illness or medical bills contributed to 50% of all filings. Their grants have helped families pay for medical expenses, funded hearing aids for people to get back to work, paid rent and utilities so families could stay in their home; to name just a few ways MCP has helped fill the gap for people in need. A medical crisis can happen fast and is more common than one thinks. MCP also partners with other non-profit organizations including the Courage Center and the Social Services at Hennepin Healthcare.
Save the date for the annual fundraising Gala on Sunday, September 15, 2019, at the Stillwater Public Library, a very popular and well attended event. MCP is always looking for donations and volunteers and provides services in a five-state area. “I am pleased to see the direction the Medical Crisis Program is going and the opportunities we have for its future,” said Debra Korluka, “mom would be proud.”
Lyn Olson Medical Crisis Center
lomcp@lomcp.com
P.O. Box 32218
Fridley, MN 55432
(612) 889-5868
www.LOMCP.com###
