Blue Cross + Blue Shield RI’s Statewide Community Day of Service
Friday, September 27, 2013
It was a great day to be a volunteer in Rhode Island yesterday, when 690 Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) employees contributed an estimated 3,400 volunteer hours during the company’s second annual statewide day of community service, Blue across Rhode Island. The event benefitted 15 local non-profits focused on improving healthcare quality and access, ensuring health literacy and encouraging wellness through fitness and nutrition.
Blue across Rhode Island
“Blue across Rhode Island is just one way that we can put a spotlight on the nonprofit organizations that help keep Rhode Islanders healthy all year long—it’s a powerful day for all of us,” said Peter Andruszkiewicz, president and CEO for BCBSRI. “At BCBSRI, we often talk about being ‘in this together’ and how real change in our state’s health and wellness will come when everyone does their part—we see Blue across Rhode Island as one more way we can hold up our end of that bargain.”
During Blue across Rhode Island, BCBSRI employees provided hands-on manpower to community organizations from Charlestown to Providence, participating in projects ranging from facilities upkeep like painting and landscaping to harvesting fresh produce and assembling children’s nutrition kits. Employees even helped Habitat for Humanity to build two new homes in Providence. BCBSRI also provided each organization with a $5,000 grant to be put towards purchasing supplies for the volunteer project.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe company will remained open and fully operational on September 26, and two on-site volunteer projects took place at BCBSRI headquarters to allow more employees to participate without interruption to customer service.
The philanthropic mission
Blue across Rhode Island is an initiative of the BlueAngel Community Outreach Program, BCBSRI’s philanthropic arm focused on improving healthcare quality and access, ensuring health literacy and encouraging wellness. Last year’s inaugural Blue across Rhode Island program resulted in 743 volunteers committing 3,930 hours to 13 charitable partners. Broader highlights of the BlueAngel program include:
· Charitable contributions: Approximately $884,000 in charitable contributions to 140 Rhode Island organizations in 2012
· Approximately 6,300 hours of employee volunteer time annually
· Approximately $29,000 in goods and services (in-kind donations) donated annually to local nonprofits
The organizations that benefitted from Blue across Rhode Island include:
BRISTOL
Rhode Island Community Food Bank at Magaziner Farm
Harvesting fresh produce
192 Poppasquash Road
CHARLESTOWN
Southern Rhode Island Volunteers
Landscaping and harvesting
Ninigret Park, 100 Park Lane
CRANSTON
Gotta Have Sole Foundation
Filling footwear orders
39 East Bel Air Road
NEWPORT
Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County, Inc.
Painting and assembling furniture
1 York Street
NORTH PROVIDENCE
St. Mary’s Home for Children
Landscaping
420 Fruit Hill Avenue
Tri-Town Community Action Agency
Painting and landscaping
33 Maple Avenue, North Providence
PROVIDENCE
Providence
Children’s Friend
Assembling care packages
153 Summer Street
Crossroads Rhode Island
Painting
754 Broad Street
Federal Hill House Association
Transforming outdoor play spaces
9 & 12 Courtland Street
Genesis Center
Painting and harvesting garden
620 Potters Avenue
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Providence Inc.
Constructing two homes
173 Petteys Avenue
Highlander Charter School
Helping out at health fair
42 Lexington Avenue
Amos House
Assembling hygiene kits (onsite project at BCBSRI headquarters)
500 Exchange Street
Well Kid Kits
Assembling children’s nutrition bags (onsite project at BCBSRI headquarters)
500 Exchange Street
Kits to be delivered to 20 after school sites across the state
WEST WARWICK
Thundermist Health Center
Cleaning up bike path, setting up for farmer’s market and annual duck race
186 Providence Street
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