Small gifts can change lives

Small gifts can change lives

Nonprofit organization Modest Needs gives one-time grants to people with emergency expenses that could push them into poverty.

Juliana Goodwin
News-Leader

There weren't any other options for Ron Provinge.

If the grant didn't come through, he would have to wait for months to learn if he qualified for a kidney transplant.

The answer hinged on $500. But it was $500 he didn't have.

Wife Joanna had heard about Modest Needs, a nonprofit that offers one-time grants to people with emergency expenses — such as medical bills.

Joanna applied. Ron thought their chances were "slim to none."

"Any time you try and go do something like that, when you are working, a lot of people think, 'You're working, you should be able to afford what you need.' But (not) when it comes to medical bills," he said.

Modest Needs assists working families, many earning too much to qualify for government assistance, but not enough to shield them from financial struggles. The goal is to keep people from slipping into poverty — people at risk of missing a house payment or losing their job because they can't afford to fix their car and drive to work.

The maximum grant is $1,000.

Headquartered in New York, Modest Needs was founded by a former professor, Keith Taylor, because, as he says, we've all needed help but we also have the need to help others.

While working his way through college as a projectionist in a movie theater, Taylor's car broke down and he had to use rent money to repair his car. Days away from being evicted, he mentioned it to his boss, who Taylor described as a "grouchy" man. The next day his boss handed him a check for $290, which Taylor calls "$290 life-changing dollars."

Taylor launched Modest Needs in 2002 with a $350 monthly commitment out of his own salary. His goal was to help at least one person a month, but thanks to donations from regular people and backing from some high-profile foundations, he's accomplished much more. In March, the nonprofit reached $1 million in donations.

The Internet is the backbone of this organization; the application and donation process is interactive.

Applications can be sorted by state, viewed online, and donors score the requests on a scale of 0-9 — indicating which need should be funded.

"That's a better concept than most (nonprofits). If the person donated the money, they get should get a say so in where it goes," Ron said.

The organization verifies the request and also posts whether this family or person has received state or federal aid in the past 30 days.

"Only donors can score the application," Taylor said. "You can't help allocate money that is not partially yours. The scoring system (is) so people at any level can tell us which applications are most important and we can follow their guidance."

The process was easy, Joanna said. She had to provide proof of income, proof of rent, medical bills and explain why they needed the money.

"I just told them the situation," Joanna said. "I didn't try to sugarcoat it. I just told it like it was."

Right off the bat, the Provinge application scored 8.2, which bounced to 8, 8.9, and ended at 8.18.

Joanna followed their rating every day and enjoyed knowing where they stood through the process.

As is the organization's policy, once their request was approved, the money was sent directly to the hospital. Modest Needs always sends money to the creditor to ensure the money is used as intended.

Joanna thinks this is an excellent idea, to weed out those who really need the money.

Their need

When Ron Provinge, a Lake of the Ozarks native and Springfield resident, applied for health insurance last October, he was sent for a physical.

Something wasn't right.

After numerous visits, he was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy on Jan. 30.

IgA nephropathy is a kidney disorder caused by deposits of the protein immunoglobin A (IgA), in the filters of the kidney, said Cindy Yager, director of clinical services at Ozarks Dialysis Services.

"When that happens it causes inflammation and eventual scarring of those filters, and then decreased kidney function," Yager said. "It can be mild or aggressive. If it is aggressive, it can cause renal failure, and that means dialysis or transplant."

Ron, 39, needed a test at St. Louis University Hospital to determine whether he would qualify for a transplant.

Because he was uninsured, the hospital required partial payment up front — $500 of $4,000.

Ron is a truck driver and Joanna a homemaker. They have a 7-year-old son, Damon.

With the cost of his kidney medications, the Provinge family just didn't have the extra cash. Joanna recently went back to work to help with bills.

Once the money came through, Ron had the test and does qualify for a transplant, although it will be years before he receives a kidney.

Without the test, they'd still be waiting. Ron and Joanna say they are grateful to the organization and Ron is grateful to his wife for applying.

"She is pretty much an optimistic person. She kept at it every day to find out what the story was on it," Ron said.

Of those who qualify for assistance from the nonprofit, 68 percent are funded, which is up from 7 percent in 2004, Taylor said.

Modest Needs is funded with small change from everyday people, said Irene St. Onge, who handles public relations for the agency.

Most donations range from $5 to $100.

Something that makes this organization unique is that 65 percent of recipients come back and become donors themselves, St. Onge said.

While most donors are regular people, it also has received support from the Christopher Reeve Foundation and this year an anonymous donor is matching donations dollar-for-dollar.

The nonprofit is designed to make average people understand they can be philanthropists, Taylor said.

"It just goes to show people are hungry to do this kind of work," Taylor said. "People with $5 or $5,000 can make a tangible difference."

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