Blue Cross Volunteers Help Stars and Others Build Healthier Communities on Annual Service Day
BOSTON – Sept. 23, 2021
Today, 2,800 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (“Blue Cross”) employees are volunteering to support 90 service projects across Massachusetts focused on improving the health of children and families as part of the company’s 11th annual Service Day.
To support the needs of the community while offering safe opportunities for their employees, Blue Cross worked with 90 not-for-profit organizations to design both in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities that align with the company’s health equity work. 1,600 employees are participating in service projects from home and 1,200 are dispersing in small groups to community partner sites across the state.
“Service Day is one of our favorite days of the year,” said Andrew Dreyfus, president and CEO of Blue Cross. “We’re proud to partner with not-for-profits around the state that are working to address health inequities affecting our communities. We’re also thankful for their creativity and ingenuity in helping us create a hybrid of meaningful opportunities, both virtual and in person, so our employees can help support their critical missions.”
Volunteers participating in-person are supporting 75 projects in 39 cities and towns across Massachusetts focused on addressing the social and environmental conditions affecting the health of children and families. Service projects include creating new outdoor play spaces for children to stay active, harvesting fresh produce to donate to local food pantries, and cleaning beaches and clearing trails to improve access to green space.
Simultaneously, 1,600 employees are volunteering from home in 25 virtual projects. Together on Zoom, volunteers will complete projects such as writing letters to seniors who are isolated during COVID-19, packing themed Happy Hope Bags filled with creative activities for hospitalized children and creating lifesaving paracord bracelets for military and first responders. The company is also partnering with Common Impact to engage employees in virtual skills-based projects that will convene small groups of volunteers to tackle business challenges facing three community partners – Fathers’ Uplift, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center and Weymouth Food Pantry.
Projects are chosen based on their alignment with the company’s focus on health justice. In addition to sending a group of enthusiastic volunteers to complete the task, Blue Cross also provides a grant to cover the project costs. Since Service Day’s inception in 2011, Blue Cross has contributed more than $10 million through this annual volunteer day.
For more information on Blue Cross’ annual Service Day and the company’s commitment to health justice, visit its Corporate Citizenship website or read its latest Corporate Citizenship Report.