Dave Ramsey did something amazing. He's an author and radio host. For over 30 years, he's been helping people get out of debt. In 2020, Ramsey told his employees at Ramsey Solutions to surprise 8,000 people with phone calls. Beginning on November 9, 2020, he and his 950 team members made phone calls to let the recipients know their debt had been forgiven.
"This year has been one of the worst financially for so many Americans. Thirty years ago, my wife, Sharon, and I were on the heels of a financial catastrophe ourselves. We know firsthand the pain of having creditors calling at all hours of the night and wondering how we were going to keep the lights on," said Ramsey said in a statement on December 7, 2020.
In each call, they said, "Your debt is forgiven!" They paid off $10 million of medical and car debt that had been sent to collections. No forms. No contest. Just pure giving.
After the news spread, Ramsey Solutions released another statement on May 2, 2023 and explained why they did it. The company said it acted "to show the love of Jesus Christ" and quoted 1 John 4:19: "We love because he first loved us."
Ramsey once had it all. He had millions in real estate and what he believed was the perfect life. But in 1988, it all came crashing down when banks demanded that he repay all of his loans at once.
This forced him into bankruptcy with a wife, a newborn, and nothing left but fear and shame. He lost everything, but he decided to turn his pain into something bigger than himself. Ramsey got out of debt, but his story didn't stop there.
He started showing friends, family, and church members how to manage their money and get out of debt. He knew he had to help more people. So in 1992, Ramsey started a small local radio show in Nashville, Tennessee.
It later grew into "The Ramsey Show" and he started helping people get out of debt all across the country. Ramsey often posts on his social media, "We're blessed to be a blessing."
"When we experience generosity, we can’t keep ourselves from paying it forward. I see this time and time again, especially as people become debt-free. They want to share that same hope and freedom with others. Their hearts and hands are open, so more can flow in and out," Ramsey said.
