Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, Foundation Donate $550,000 to Help Kansas Organizations with COVID-19 Relief
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS) and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation announce they are donating $550,000 to numerous Kansas organizations to help bring relief and support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. BCBSKS will spread the donation across various organizations throughout their service area in Kansas, including contributions to small businesses and colleges, healthcare centers, domestic violence organizations and food banks.
In addition to BCBSKS corporate donating to causes across Kansas, The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation will add to the giving by contributing to Child Care Aware of Kansas. “We are proud to provide relief where we can to organizations across our state that are working hard to meet the needs of all Kansans,” said Matt All, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas.
“We care deeply about our communities and are committed to providing assistance where we can.” BCBSKS is partnering with NetWork Kansas to offer grants that total $250,000 to colleges and small businesses who are making personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers with low supply.
NetWork Kansas is a nonprofit that works to grow small businesses in Kansas and foster an entrepreneurial spirit among Kansans. The grants will come through the BCBSKS Blue Health Initiatives, a program that supports communities in developing enduring solutions for Kansas’s health challenges. In addition, BCBSKS is donating $200,000 to the Kansas Association of Local Health Departments (KAHLD) and local health departments across Kansas through its Blue Health Initiatives.
Health departments across the state are working daily on the impacts of COVID-19 to their communities and need funding now more than ever. BCBSKS is also contributing $44,000 to domestic violence organizations across the state. Funds will be dispersed to 22 different organizations in the BCBSKS service area and used to assist domestic violence shelters, support victims of domestic abuse and more.
BCBSKS has already donated $27,000 to Project Topeka, a campaign that supports eight Topeka organizations that offer food assistance. At Project Topeka, 100% of donations go toward purchasing food. Every dollar donated provides 1.5 pounds of food to the hungry. Lastly, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation will contribute $50,000 to Child Care Aware of Kansas, a membership organization for all child care providers in Kansas.
The donation will go to those providers in the BCBSKS service area and will be used to purchase cleaning supplies and curriculum to address behavioral health needs as children navigate the emotional impact of COVID- 19. “Child Care Aware of Kansas is working hard every day to ensure families have access to affordable, high-quality care, which is more challenging and important than ever before as we navigate this health crisis,” said Marlou Wegener, chief operating officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation.
“These funds will help the organization continue its mission and provide much needed support to child care providers throughout Kansas.” To learn more about these relief efforts and additional measures taken by BCBSKS for its members, please visit the BCBSKS website.
