12 Ways BlueCross Made a Difference for SC in 2023
Dec. 21, 2023
Every year BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and its employees give time and money to support the community we call home. Supporting organizations across the state is an important part of the company’s values.
This year our employees volunteered 21,713 hours and gave $2,686,075 to community organizations.
“The holiday season is often a time of giving and generosity. It allows us to express gratitude for what we have and share with those less fortunate. But our employees carry this spirit of generosity year round, providing monetary and volunteer support that help build up our community,” says Elizabeth Nkuo Johnson, director of community relations at BlueCross.
The BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation supported organizations across the state to improve life in the Palmetto State.
"As South Carolina’s only statewide, state-based foundation focused solely on improving health, we appreciate our community partners as we work together to improve the health of South Carolinians," says Erika Kirby, executive director of the Foundation.
Improving Oral Care
Having good oral care is key to overall health. Yet many South Carolinians don’t have dental insurance and can’t afford to pay for care.
Several organizations in South Carolina are working to improve access to dental care. Affinity Health Center in Rock Hill serves 1,582 patients who average 2.3 visits to the dental clinic every year with support from the Foundation. Affinity integrates dental services into primary care.
The Foundation is also working to address dental care access for children in rural parts of the state where more than 50 percent of children have never set foot in a dentist’s office. The new grant project with the Family Health Centers aims to help children in Orangeburg, Calhoun and Bamberg counties.
Helping Children
BlueCross supports children across the state through programs aimed at improving the lives of kids.
Diabetes Free South Carolina has helped Kids in Parks expand trails through the state. The initiative encourages families to get outside to explore the world around them. Families can use the TRACK Trails to be more active outdoors while learning about the flora and fauna in their own backyards.
In Greenville, Public Education Partners fosters a love of reading for kids from low-income families with its Make Summer Count program. The group has found that 70 percent of the kids who participate in Make Summer Count maintain or increase their reading levels over the summer.
And the company continues to support Camp Cole. Employees volunteered to help prepare cabins for Camp Impact, a summer camp experience designed for children who have experienced homelessness, from low-income families or from the foster care system.
Addressing Mental Health
The last few years have shone a light on the mental health crisis in South Carolina. More than 40 percent of South Carolina high school students reported “feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for more than two weeks in a row,” according to a recent Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System survey. And 19 percent reported planning how they would attempt suicide.
This is why the Foundation has awarded a significant grant to Children’s Trust of South Carolina to expand its programs for adolescent mental and physical health. Funding will support the multi-year delivery of Teen Triple P, also known as the Positive Parenting Program, to promote healthy development and improved mental and physical health for adolescents.
BlueCross also sponsored the Blue Chair, Blue Mind exhibit at the South Carolina Aquarium this year. The exhibit features adult and child-sized blue chairs installed on the aquarium’s second-floor deck overlooking the Charleston Harbor flowing to the Atlantic Ocean. It’s part of the South Carolina Aquarium’s Blue Mind experience focused on bringing awareness to the many mental health benefits of water.
Fostering a Culture of Giving
BlueCross encourages employees to give back all year. Employees raised more than $2.6 million for the United Way of the Midlands with its month-long giving campaign. Since 1993, our BlueCross employees have donated more than $40 million to United Way. The support will aid United Way in its fight for expanded health, education and financial stability in our local communities.
Employees also donated $46,865 to Midlands Gives, an 18-hour giving challenge. This was the largest amount raised by employees from a single company this year. Midlands Gives Day was launched in 2013 and is hosted annually by the Central Carolina Community Foundation. This year’s event collected a total of 21,403 individual donations and 19,109 volunteer hours in support of 568 local nonprofit organizations.
The company’s Business Military Resource Group hosted several opportunities for veterans to give back to local groups. Volunteers showed up to support the Tunnel to Towers Foundation 5K fundraiser. Proceeds from this event go to first responders, military, veterans and their families.
The group also volunteered with the Big Red Barn Retreat. They prepared and served meals during the nonprofit's event celebrating individuals participating in Warrior PATHH, the Big Red Barn Retreat’s flagship program aimed at helping veterans, active-duty military and first responders who are dealing with PTSD and combat stress. The 18-month program is designed to help them grow and heal from traumatic experiences. A blended team of combat veterans and first responders guide the program.
Saving Lives
The American Red Cross is more than a blood bank. And BlueCross is a proud supporter of the organization. It encourages employees to give and hosts donation events to make it easier. Vesha Jamison, donor recruitment and sickle cell account manager with the Red Cross, shares why it is vital for South Carolinians to give.
About 300 employees donated 491 pints of blood this year. The company hosted 21 blood drives at offices in Columbia and Florence.
Making History
After more than two decades of planning, fundraising and construction, the International African American Museum officially opened its doors to the public. BlueCross is a proud founding donor of the museum.
The 100,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility is located in Charleston, South Carolina, on Gadsdens Warf — a historic site and port of arrival for nearly half of all enslaved Africans first brought to North America in the early 1800s.
The International African American Museum features a memorial garden, a genealogy center and nine exhibition spaces that share the influential histories of Africans and their descendants in South Carolina.
Getting Active
South Carolina boasts natural beauty from the Upstate to the Lowcountry. Visiting the seven wonders of South Carolina is a great way to see the state.
The South Carolina 7 expedition encourages South Carolinians to get outdoors for healthy activities to gain a greater appreciation of our state. During the month of July, the expedition hiked, paddled and adventured across the state. BlueCross employees joined for part of the activity. The company is a sponsor of the program.
Lending a Hand
Employees volunteer all year to help South Carolinians across the state. But the annual Day of Service brought more than 400 employees to volunteer at 26 different nonprofits. Employees signed up to volunteer 1,320 total hours. Michala Ciambotti, a public relations specialist in Community Relations at BlueCross, shares ways others can get involved and give back.
Creating Family Fun
The company had a record-breaking turnout at it’s annual Healthy You 5K and Family Day. More than 600 employees and family members participated. Employees ran and walked a 5K race, a 1-Mile Kids Fun Run, and a 1-Mile Walk for ages 5 and up.
There was also a charitable component. All employees who registered for the 5K could vote for their favorite local nonprofits to receive a donation from BlueCross.
The winning nonprofits this year were:
- Homeless No More.
- NAMI MID-CAROLINA.
- Children's Trust of South Carolina.
Preparing the Next Generation
In 2022, BlueCross created the BlueScholars program to continue its support of the state’s historically Black colleges and universities. The program partners with Benedict College and Claflin University.
Four students from each institution were selected for a scholarship that covers tuition, room and board. Selected students have the chance to attend career-focused workshops and BlueCross internship programs. This year we introduced the first class of scholars and announced the next class.
Transforming Lives
The company’s corporate giving campaign for Transitions Homeless Center raised $13,500 from employees. Donations helped the nonprofit provide housing, nutritious meals and other critical services to homeless men and women in the Midlands. Transitions CEO Craig Currey explains how to get involved to make a difference in the lives of people in need.
Timothy Hawkins is living proof of the transformative and sometimes life-saving impact that Transitions can have on the people in our community.
Supporting Survivors
Last year in South Carolina, there were more than 30,000 victims of domestic violence. And that doesn’t even include the many incidents that went unreported due to fear of retaliation, being judged or victims not having a safe place to go.
Behind those numbers are people’s lives. People like Ashley Olayinka Thomas, a sexual assault survivor turned advocate and founder of The Hive Community Circle, a Columbia-based nonprofit with the mission of providing support to the most impacted, underserved survivors: women of color.
Thomas shares how she took one of the darkest moments in her life and turned it into creating a place for others to heal from theirs.
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