At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, the community relations department supports nonprofit organizations through corporate contributions and in-kind giving. The area also administers the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation, which prioritizes giving that will improve the health of all Kansans.  Company employees are encouraged to become more engaged with their community by volunteering, serving on nonprofit boards of directors and actively supporting internal campaigns. The goal of the department is to position the company in its service area as a positive and impactful corporate citizen.

Recently, BCBSKS employees shared their personal motives for volunteering. They are driven to help others, the community and to inspire.

Helping Others

• Project Topeka is a month-long campaign in which employees donate money or canned goods in support of individuals that are in need in Topeka and Shawnee County. During the 2016 campaign, employees donated $22,129 and 3,030 pounds of food or the equivalent of 36,223.71 meals!

• Christmas in Action was a project in which a team of nine BCBSKS employees volunteered their time to help two elderly homeowners in Shawnee County. The yearly event pairs local homeowners with teams of volunteers from local businesses and churches to help renovate homes. The BCBSKS team gave up their entire Saturday to repair, paint and clean. This was the fourth year for many of the participants.

• As of the end of April, our corporate giving program supported 75 sponsorships and contributions to health-related nonprofit organizations all throughout the Plan’s service area.

Helping the Community

• March of Dimes is another employee giving campaign hosted by the company. Each year employees donate their time and dollars to help further the mission of the March of Dimes across the state of Kansas.

• Meals on Wheels volunteers at BCBSKS are passionate and dedicated to delivering meals to those served by Meals on Wheels of Shawnee County. Nearly 80 people are ready to take time from their day to deliver healthy, nutritious meals while providing a smile to those on the BCBSKS route. Volunteers deliver meals Monday through Friday every week of the year.

• National Walk @ Lunch Day® was held April 27. Walks were hosted in 12 Kansas communities this year. In its 10^th year, nearly 3,000 walkers made their lunch a walking lunch.

To inspire

• Junior Achievement had 28 BCBSKS volunteers teach 36 classes to elementary school students across Topeka during the spring semester. This is equivalent to 132.5 hours volunteered to teach the fundamentals of entrepreneurial thinking and success.

• BCBSKS staff serve as board members and on workgroups throughout the state of Kansas. In total, 43 employees offer their expertise and knowledge to assist a wide range of nonprofit organizations.

Through these community initiatives, projects and organizations, BCBSKS continues to help others, help the community and inspire on a daily basis. We are pleased to have the capacity to support numerous nonprofit organizations in our service area that improve the health of Kansans through financial contributions, in-kind services and lending the expertise of our staff in leadership roles.