Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced that over $21,000 in unclaimed property gift cards were donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central PA, Special Olympics Pennsylvania and the Veterans Multi-Service Center.
HERSHEY, Pennsylvania. — Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced today that over $21,000 in unclaimed property gift cards will be donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central PA, Special Olympics Pennsylvania and the Veterans Multi-Service Center.
“We are constantly working to return unclaimed property to its rightful owners, but there are some cases – like the gift cards we are donating today – where that is simply impossible,” said Treasurer Garrity. “I couldn’t be happier that we are turning this into something positive by making these donations to three wonderful nonprofits. Ronald McDonald House, Special Olympics Pennsylvania and Veterans Multi-Service Center all make a huge impact on the lives of Pennsylvanians every day. These organizations have touched countless lives, and I am honored to support their missions and the people they serve.”
The total amount of the gift cards is $21,662.42 and will be donated to the organizations as follows:
• Ronald McDonald House of Central PA: $7,281.48
• Special Olympics Pennsylvania: $7,200.00
• Veterans Multiservice Center: $7,180.94
Karla Mitchell, Executive Director of the Ronald McDonald House of Central PA, and Josh Burke, Regional Executive Director of the Special Olympics Capital Area Region, accepted the gift cards during a press conference at the Ronald McDonald House in Hershey.
Since the Veterans Multi-Service Center was unable to attend the press conference, the gift cards will be delivered separately.
“Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central PA is extremely grateful to the Pennsylvania Department of Finance for this generous donation of gift cards,” said Karla Mitchell, Executive Director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central PA (RMHC-CP). “Gift cards allow our organization to purchase what we need, when we need it, for the families we serve at RMHC-CP, greatly reducing any issues with storage or potential expiration dates. We are pleased to be one of the organizations selected for this unique form of support.”
“We are so grateful to Treasurer Garrity and her team not only for this amazing donation of gift cards, but for their partnership and commitment to making the world a more inclusive place for people with intellectual disabilities,” said Josh Burke, executive director of the Capital Area Region of Special Olympics Pennsylvania. “Special Olympics Pennsylvania serves more than 15,000 athletes across the state and all of our sports, health and leadership programs are free. Donations like this help us cover the costs of travel, equipment and more.”
“On behalf of the Veterans Multi-Service Center, I would like to thank Treasurer Garrity for this generous donation of $7,000 in gift cards,” said Joe Brooks, Executive Director of the Veterans Multi-Service Center. “This support will greatly enhance our ability to provide critical services and resources to veterans in need. Treasurer Garrity’s commitment to our veterans is an example of true leadership and compassion, and we are grateful for her continued partnership in serving those who have served our country.”
The 53 Target, Visa and MasterCard gift cards were reported to the IRS as unclaimed property by the Abington Township Police Department in Montgomery County and the West Manchester Township Police Department in York County.
The unclaimed property was reported to the Treasury Department following two separate investigations involving gift cards that were likely purchased using fraudulent means.
Credit cards were obtained. These investigations resulted in three arrests. In these scams, perpetrators typically obtain compromised credit card numbers and use them to purchase gift cards and thus “launder” the funds.
Since the cards were reported to the Treasury without any information about the rightful owners, they will be donated to nonprofit organizations. The Treasury has made similar donations several times in the past, including in 2019 and 2017.
“I would like to thank the Abington and West Manchester Township Police Departments for their great work in solving these crimes and for reporting the gift cards to the Treasury as required by law,” said Treasurer Garrity. “We hosted a webinar for police departments earlier this year as part of our ongoing education efforts to ensure that all owners of unclaimed property understand their responsibility to turn it over to the Treasury at the appropriate time.”
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central PA brings families together in a calming and safe environment while their children receive critical medical care. The organization provides free temporary housing and soothing respite services just steps from the bedside to families of seriously ill children being treated at Penn State Children’s Hospital and Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital.
Special Olympics Pennsylvania provides year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing them with ongoing opportunities to improve physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and share talents, skills, and friendships with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community.
The Veterans Multi-Service Center is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that has been providing comprehensive services to veterans since 1980. Their mission is to provide services, programs, opportunities, and advancement to U.S. military veterans and their families. The Veterans Multi-Service Center has several locations in Pennsylvania and serves families throughout the state.
Unclaimed property can include things like dormant bank accounts, abandoned stocks, uncashed checks and more. State law requires most unclaimed property to be reported to the Treasury after three years of dormancy. In the case of police departments, unclaimed property must be reported to the Treasury three years after the date the case is adjudicated if an owner is known, or one year if no owner is known. For more information, see the Treasury Department’s Holder Reporting Booklet.
There is currently over $4.5 billion worth of unclaimed property waiting to be claimed. More than one in 10 Pennsylvania residents has unclaimed property, and the average claim is worth about $1,600.
To search the Treasury Department’s database of unclaimed property, visit patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property.
