Nonprofit expanding to SD

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MINNEAPOLIS — Spare Key, a Minnesota-based nonprofit that has made mortgage payments for Minnesota families since 1997 as a way to help them through their child’s medical crisis, will expand into South Dakota and two other states in 2013.

Spare Key provides housing payments for families whose child is seriously ill or critically injured and in the hospital. The goal of the program is to allow parents to be at the hospital.

“This is a historic day for Spare Key,” said Erich Mische, Spare Key executive director. “While we will continue our commitment to Minnesota families, our capacity to serve families in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin in 2013 is a significant achievement for this organization. This is a bold declaration that we will do more to support families beyond our current borders in the future.”

Since 1997, Spare Key has made mortgage payments in more than 320 Minnesota cities and 75 of the state’s 87 counties for more than 1,500 families totaling nearly $1.6 million.

The majority of Spare Key’s referrals come from hospital social workers and, according to Mische, this will continue to be the primary network in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

“We are looking forward to a very aggressive outreach in the new states in which we will be operating in 2013,” said Mische. “This new expansion is exciting and we believe will energize our donors and supporters who have helped us get to this place since Spare Key began in 1997.”

Social workers, hospitals or others in the health care industry who would like to learn more about Spare Key’s expansion efforts in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin may contact Erich Mische at erich@sparekey.org or at (952) 406-8872.

Tags: life, updates, charity, state