COLUMBIA, S.C. and TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Recognizing the important connection between homelessness and health, WellCare of South Carolina, a WellCare company (NYSE: WCG), announced today that its associates and their families and friends will lace up their running shoes on Feb. 20, 2016 for the Race for the Place 5K and Kids' Fun Run. The race benefits St. Lawrence Place, a 30-home community that provides support services, life skills training and transitional housing to enable homeless families to achieve independent living.
WellCare of South Carolina also gave $1,500 to St. Lawrence Place to support its mission of helping families regain independence. St. Lawrence Place, unlike many other shelters that cater only to women and children or single men, allows families to stay together.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of families in America become homeless, including more than 1.6 million children, according to a report by the National Center on Family Homelessness. The report further found that children experiencing homelessness are sick four times more often, and are four times more likely to show delayed development.
"According to leading research, of the approximately 228,000 children living in poverty in South Carolina, one out of every 20 is homeless," said Kathy Warner, WellCare's state president in South Carolina. "WellCare is committed to finding solutions to help those we serve manage the everyday challenges that make it difficult to achieve and maintain optimal health."
To learn more about St. Lawrence Place and the Race for the Place 5K and Kids' Fun run visit www.stlawrenceplace.org.
As of Dec. 31, 2015, WellCare serves approximately 60,000 Medicaid members, 26,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members and 3,000 Medicare Advantage members in South Carolina.
About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. WellCare serves approximately 3.8 million members nationwide as of Dec. 31, 2015. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com or view the company's videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.
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SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
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