Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan Provides $100,000 in Grants to Support Nutrition for Southern Californians During COVID-19 Pandemic

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LOS ANGELES, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan is supporting the health needs of thousands of individuals and families in Los Angeles and San Diego counties by providing $100,000 in grants to distribute food this summer.

The support to 10 community-based organizations comes at a crucial time during the COVID-19 crisis as schools and other community support programs close during the summer months.

"Blue Shield Promise is committed to serving and investing in the communities where our members live," said Kristen Cerf, president and CEO of Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan. "We want to support the safety net for our members and the community at large. Through the San Diego Community Impact Fund, we are helping organizations such as I Am My Brother's Keeper, that are in the community addressing food insecurity to the most vulnerable."

Blue Shield Promise is providing $50,000 to the San Diego Foundation to support the San Diego Community Impact Fund. The grant will be used to distribute food to more than 2,500 families throughout southeast San Diego. The food distributions will be made to San Diego nonprofit "I Am My Brother's Keeper," a non-profit organization that provides services and resources to the community.

"During this challenging time, San Diegans are going above and beyond to support their neighbors, uplift the needy and give to families hit hardest by COVID-19," expressed Mark Stuart, President & CEO of The San Diego Foundation. "Every day, we are seeing the needs of our local communities grow and we are grateful for the generosity of organizations like Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan."

In addition, in Los Angeles and San Diego counties, Blue Shield Promise is providing a total of $50,000 in grants to nine community-based organizations and together, the funds will be used to serve nutritious food to more than 3,500 low-income families. The distributions began earlier this month and will continue through August. The grants will be distributed to:

• Antelope Valley Partners for Health
• Boys and Girls Club of Metro Los Angeles
• Human Services Association
• Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank (2 distribution locations)
• Long Beach Center for Economic Inclusion
• Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee (MAAC) Project
• Partners of Parks
• Social Justice Learning Institute (2 distribution locations)
• South Antelope Valley Emergency Services (S.A.V.E.S.) City of Palmdale

This is the latest example of Blue Shield Promise, and its parent company, nonprofit Blue Shield of California, providing ongoing support for their members, physicians, hospitals and the larger community during the public health crisis. In May, Blue Shield Promise and L.A. Care Health Plan participated in the Sowing Seeds for Life drive-through food pantry. This is in addition to the $350,000 Blue Shield Promise donated to support their members and providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recipients included community-based organizations serving Blue Shield members and who were engaged in meal distribution to school age children, seniors and high-risk members isolated at home, domestic violence support and community solution response efforts.

About Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan
Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan is a managed care organization, wholly owned by Blue Shield of California, offering Medi-Cal, Cal MediConnect, Medicare Advantage HMO, and Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans. It is led by healthcare professionals with a "members-first" philosophy and committed to building a quality network of providers and partnering with community organizations for more than 400,000 members.

For more information about Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, please visit www.blueshieldca.com/promise. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit  https://news.blueshieldca.com/.

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CONTACT:
Carol Thornton / Mashi Nyssen
Blue Shield of California    
510-607-2359
[email protected]    

SOURCE Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan