Empire BlueCross BlueShield Associates in New York Volunteer to Help Local Organizations During Third Annual Community Service Day

NEW YORK, April 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Over 400 Empire BlueCross BlueShield associates and their friends and families joined forces to participate in the parent company's national Community Service Day. These efforts helped dozens of organizations across the state.

"At Empire BlueCross BlueShield we work everyday to improve the health of our communities," said Mark Wagar, president and CEO.  "Coming together on Community Service Day allows each of us to bring that commitment to life in an everyday way. For the past three years, we have worked with nonprofit organizations to collaborate on projects and services that impact each of our communities and we are proud to continue that effort this year."

This year, Empire associates volunteered with the Union Settlement Association -- a nonprofit that works with and for the predominantly immigrant community of East Harlem.  Over the course of several hours, associates worked to improve one of the organization's buildings, painting several rooms and an outdoor mural, preparing the garden area for spring planting, constructing a walking path, building trash can boxes and picnic tables and more.

Coinciding with Points of Light & Hands On Network's National Volunteer Week, Empire associates also supported several other organizations, including:

• The New York City Coalition Against Hunger, which works to meet the food needs of low-income New Yorkers and enacts solutions to help them move "beyond the soup kitchen" to self-sufficiency. Empire associates worked to enhance the interior of one of the organization's facilities used to store, prepare and distribute food in Brooklyn.

• The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, which works to reduce hunger by providing individuals and families in need with healthy food and nutrition education. Empire volunteers sorted, organized and packed supplies of food for distribution.

• The Unity House of Troy, a community service agency dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for people living in poverty, adults with mental illness, victims of domestic violence, children with developmental delays and their families, people living with HIV/AIDS, and others.  Associates painted, cleaned and made assorted general improvements to one of the agency's larger residential facilities.

• Girl Scouts of the USA, Albany Chapter, which helps girls build character and skills for success in the real world. Volunteers spent their morning preparing the Girl Scout's Camp for its spring session.

Other volunteer sites included: The City Mission of Schenectady; Regional Food Bank; Children's Consortium; Rescue Mission, Liverpool; Rescue Mission, East Syracuse; Rescue Mission, North Syracuse; The Queen's Galley, Huntington Family Center; SCO Family of Services; Tails of Hope Foundation; City Mission; Splashes of Hope; Pets Alive; and, Humane Society of Middletown, Inc.

Last year, Empire, through its parent company foundation, direct corporate support and associate donations contributed almost $3 million to New York civic and charitable organizations and causes.

Empire BlueCross BlueShield

Empire BlueCross BlueShield (Empire) is the trade name of Empire HealthChoice Assurance, Inc., and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO is the trade name of Empire HealthChoice HMO, Inc., independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, serving residents and businesses in the 28 eastern and southeastern counties of New York State.  Additional information about Empire is available at www.empireblue.com.

SOURCE Empire BlueCross BlueShield