Home    /    Access to Care    /    Community Impact   /    Operating Responsibly    /    Leadership View

 

As Texans adapted to life in the pandemic, we continued to stand with our communities with community partnerships, grants, economic activity and volunteer work.

 

Supporting Community-Based Organizations

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) supported ongoing COVID-19 recovery efforts, awarding grants totaling $265,000 to nine organizations for their work providing health literacy education, medical supplies, emergency shelter, access to care and other resources.

Under the Healthy Kids, Healthy Families (HKHF) initiative — marking its 10th year — BCBSTX invested nearly $2.8 million in grants and partnerships to 50 community organizations, reaching nearly 208,000 Texans. The grant program is aimed at advancing work on nutrition, physical activity, preventing and managing disease and supporting safe environments.

In 2021, HKHF targeted pandemic-related social and economic effects, including lack of housing, food deserts and education, employment and mental health needs.

Teen food program participant holds basket of fresh produce

Collaborating with Feeding America Feeding America, we helped thousands of Texans experiencing food insecurity — including many for the first time because of the pandemic’s economic impact. Sixteen food banks serving more than 150 counties statewide received $507,000 in HKHF grants to support their work.

“Families with more limited financial resources were hit really hard,” says Paul Gaither, marketing and communications director for the Austin-based Central Texas Food Bank. “We saw huge spikes in demand. We appreciate everything BCBSTX does for us.”

Three people harvesting fresh tomatoes in field
BCBSTX President James Springfield with BCBSTX Volunteer of the Year Shrona Carter

Volunteering in our Communities

Giving our time to support our fellow Texans is an important part of living our purpose. In 2021, 1,500 employees volunteered nearly 35,800 hours with 725 organizations through the Blue CorpsSM program.  BCBSTX donated $132,160 in matching dollars to 19 community partners for the hours volunteered by employees. Employees also donated about $149,476 through annual giving campaigns.

Shrona Carter, BCBSTX’s 2021 Volunteer of the Year, dedicated hundreds of hours to organizations including Keep Longview Beautiful, Urban Creed, One Love World, Community Outreach Mission, Friends of Partners in Prevention and the Hope Foundation of Texas.

“I want other large companies and corporations to understand how important it is to encourage our fellow peers, as well as their employees, to volunteer within the community,” Carter says. “That's where we live. That's where we raise our children.”

BCBSTX clinician employees took advantage of a program providing paid time off for up to 80 hours spent volunteering with organizations administering COVID-19 vaccines.

“I wanted to do that for people in my community — give them the sense of things getting better and feeling safer,” says Alicia Harris, a registered nurse and BCBSTX case management coordinator.

$2.8 million invested in 50 community-based organizations

35,756 hours volunteered by 1,477 employees

$1.7 billion in economic impact

Includes wages, taxes, benefits, real estate spend and charitable contributions

 

Home    /    Access to Care    /    Community Impact   /    Operating Responsibly    /    Leadership View