Blue Cross Foundation Awards $275,000 in Grants

More than $1 million community grants in 2010

EAGAN, Minn., Sept. 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation awarded $275,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations statewide in support of eight projects that address the health of young children by focusing on early childhood development, affordable housing, the environment and healthy eating. The Foundation has awarded a total of $1.1 million to date in 2010.

"We focused this grantmaking on Minnesota communities that had poor health outcomes as reported in the recent County Health Rankings: Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health," said Foundation President Marsha Shotley. "Several organizations will work together in each project to make their communities healthier by helping young children, families and neighborhoods."

Grants were awarded to the following organizations:

• Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (Minneapolis), $100,000 in support of the Healthy Legacy campaign, which raises awareness about the dangers of children's exposure to toxic chemicals. The project also works with Minnesota businesses to adopt "green chemistry" initiatives to reduce the use of hazardous substances in products.
• Bagley Public School (Clearwater County), $25,000 to improve the health and development of young children and their families, with a focus on nutrition in two early childhood programs
• Greater Mankato Area United Way (Blue Earth and Nicollet counties), $25,000 for the "First Steps Collaborative," a cross-agency home visiting program for first-time, at-risk parents, offering education on early childhood development and healthy home environments
• Heartland Community Action Council (Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker and Renville counties), $25,000 for the "Promoting Healthy Children Project," a partnership to link children with high blood toxin levels and their families with appropriate resources
• Open Cities Health Center (Ramsey County), $25,000 to assess children's readiness for school, the health and safety of home environments, and access to healthy food for families with young children living in the areas immediately surrounding Maxfield Elementary and Jackson Magnet School
• Minnewaska Area Schools (Pope County and potentially Swift, Morrisson, Grant and Douglas counties), $25,000 to identify policies that improve community conditions, focusing on early childhood development, healthy eating and active living
• St. Cloud State University (Benton, Sherburne and Stearns counties), $25,000 for a community-university collaboration to improve community conditions for immigrant families with young children
• Twin Cities Local Initiatives Support Corporation (Hennepin and Ramsey counties), $25,000 for the "Building Sustainable Communities Project," which focuses on strengthening neighborhood engagement, better housing and increasing access to quality preschool in the Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul and Blake Road Corridor in Hopkins

The Blue Cross Foundation and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota work to make a healthy difference in people's lives. To learn more, visit bcbsmnfoundation.org or bluecrossmn.com.

The Blue Cross Foundation is the state's largest grantmaking foundation to exclusively dedicate its assets to improving health in Minnesota, awarding more than $28 million since it was established in 1986. The Foundation's purpose is to look beyond health care today for ideas that create healthier communities tomorrow, through a focus on key social, economic and environmental factors that determine health, to improve community health long-term and close the health gap that affects many Minnesotans.

SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation