BlueCross BlueShield Employees Fill FeedMore WNY Truck with 5 Tons of Most-Needed Food Items
Employees Pay it Forward to Support Community and Help End Hunger in Western New York
Buffalo, N.Y. — To support growing community needs, BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York employees collected over 5 tons of food and nearly $2,000 for FeedMore WNY at a drive-through food drive it hosted at its headquarters. Notably, with 95% of BlueCross BlueShield employees working remotely, they made a special trip to deliver the most needed food items, 10,441 pounds in total.
“As a community-based health plan, BlueCross BlueShield employees are finding new ways to stay connected to one another and the community we serve,” said Julie R. Snyder, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York. “Our employees are prouder than ever before to give back to the community where we live, work and play.”
FeedMore WNY, a local organization that was created as a merger of two of the area’s most well-known organizations—the Food Bank of WNY and Meals on Wheels for Western New York, alleviates hunger and assists community members in the region. The organization has provided nearly 4.5 million pounds of food to its partner hunger-relief agencies since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is nearly a 49% increase from 2019.
“FeedMore WNY is committed to doing everything in our power to ensure our neighbors in need have enough to eat during this pandemic and beyond. However, we can only fulfill our mission with the help of dedicated community partners,” Anne McKenna, Chief Communications Officer of FeedMore WNY, said. “We are grateful to BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York for hosting this food drive which will allow us to distribute more nutritious food to those who need it most.”
The employee driven support is in addition to the health plan’s recent $80,000 donation to 16 local organizations recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, BlueCross BlueShield employees sent thousands of healthy snack-packs and meals to those serving on the frontlines of the pandemic.
To learn more about BlueCross BlueShield’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit www.bcbswny.com/coronavirus.
About BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York
BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York is a division of HealthNow New York Inc., one of New York’s leading health care companies that provides access to quality health care and solutions for members throughout Upstate New York. Since 1936, BlueCross BlueShield has helped millions of people gain access to health care. Today, we offer a full range of insured, self-insured, and government programs and services covering businesses, families, and individuals, as well as life and disability coverage, dental and vision plans and stop-loss coverage. The company contributes significantly to organizations that promote physical health, community health and our region’s health, and BlueCross BlueShield employees also raise and donate several hundred thousand dollars each year. Headquartered in Buffalo, NY, the company is an independent Licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association.