Blue Cross Announces Its 14th Community Service Sabbatical Fellow

BOSTON, Feb. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts' ("Blue Cross") 14th William C. Van Faasen Community Service Sabbatical Fellow, Lori Sheehan, starts her six month volunteer assignment with The Trustees.  Sheehan who is currently a HR systems analyst will be working with The Trustees full-time through July 31 to review and audit their current volunteer needs along with their recruitment and tracking processes across programs to identify and recommend opportunities to increase volunteer recruitment & engagement. 

Blue Cross' William C. Van Faasen Community Service Sabbatical Fellowship gives one employee each year the opportunity to work for a nonprofit for four to six months to support a critical business need while receiving their normal salary and benefits. Blue Cross invites their nonprofit partners to apply to be a part of the program and then recruits employees whose skills sets match the criteria of the organization's business need.

"Volunteers are vital to The Trustees' mission of conserving land across Massachusetts," said Marc Mahan, volunteer program manager at The Trustees. "We're thrilled to have Lori joining us this spring through Blue Cross' sabbatical program to help us enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our volunteer operations so we can continue to protect our communities' vital green spaces." 

The Trustees preserves and cares for more than 100 properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value – nearly 27,000 acres – all around Massachusetts for public use and enjoyment. With over 1,500 volunteers contributing over 60,000 hours of work annually across various programs and regions, The Trustees is looking for help transforming and scaling their systems to better engage and mobilize volunteers.

"It's an honor to be selected as this year's fellow and to support The Trustees," said Sheehan. "I am excited that this project will allow me to use my HR systems experience to find ways to optimize their statewide recruitment and onboarding of volunteers, as well as bring back to Blue Cross a new approach to project management and collaboration."

The Community Service Sabbatical Program is now in its 14th year and has become a pillar of Blue Cross' employee engagement and community work.

"We take pride in offering meaningful volunteer experiences for our associates that are based on the needs of our community partners," said Lucy Darragh, director of civic engagement and events at Blue Cross. "Our people are our largest asset and being able to provide critical support to The Trustees while giving Lori a unique and challenging professional development opportunity is a win-win."

In 2019, nearly 3,200 Blue Cross employees contributed 28,000 volunteer hours to support 285 service projects across the state. The company also donated $8.1M to 479 not-for-profits. For more information on Blue Cross' Sabbatical Program and the company's commitment to healthy living, visit their Corporate Citizenship website and read the 2018 Annual Report. 

About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (bluecrossma.com) is a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston. We are committed to the relentless pursuit of quality, affordable health care with an unparalleled consumer experience. Consistent with our promise to always put our members first, we are rated among the nation's best health plans for member satisfaction and quality. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

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