OAKLAND, Calif. (June 16, 2021) – Blue Shield of California has been named a 2021 honoree of The Civic 50 by Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service.
Since it was launched in 2012, The Civic 50 provides a national standard for corporate citizenship and showcases how companies can use their time, skills and resources to drive social impact in their communities and company.
“Points of Light believes that corporate leadership and commitment to civic engagement is critical to strengthening communities,” said Natalye Paquin, president and CEO, Points of Light. “We thank Blue Shield of California for their investment in the communities where they live and work and look forward to supporting them in leveraging their time, talent and assets to make transformational change.”
One of Blue Shield of California’s crowning achievements has been the 2019 launch of its BlueSky youth mental health initiative. The program is currently providing extra counselors in 20 schools in California, alongside other resources, to boost the emotional well-being of middle and high school students.
Blue Shield has also been very active in corporate giving, funding dozens of nonprofits. Employees have also pitched in on this effort to support nonprofits to empower all Californians to live their healthiest, most productive and fulfilling lives. 2020 was a record-setting year for both volunteer hours (more than 30,000) and dollars (more than $1,000,000) donated by Blue Shield employees. So far in 2021 more than 60% of Blue Shield employees have donated more than 5,500 volunteer hours and $400,000 (including a company match) to worthy causes.
“As a mission-driven, nonprofit health plan, Blue Shield of California is committed to improving the health and well-being of all Californians,” said Paul Markovich, president,and CEO of Blue Shield of California. “From youth mental health and climate change to homelessness and COVID-19, we are committed to doing all we can to address inequalities and to empower youth to reach their full potential. We are thrilled that our work has been recognized by Points of Light.”
Community groups that work with Blue Shield say the recognition is deserving.
“Our mission has always been to provide housing and supportive services for young people experiencing homeless and trafficking in California. We do this with absolute respect and unconditional love for our young people, but we cannot do that work alone,” said Bill Bedrossian, CEO at Covenant House California. “Fortunately, we have partners like Blue Shield of California who - over the years - have taken a holistic approach to partnership by providing financial support and volunteers.”
“Through the generosity of partners like Blue Shield of California, we've been able to continue to deliver culturally competent, tech-focused programming for students around the world,” leaders at the Bay Area non-profit youth program, Black Girls CODE, said in a statement.
The Civic 50 honorees are companies with annual U.S. revenues of at least $1 billion and are selected based on four dimensions of their corporate citizenship and social impact programs – investment of resources, integration across business functions, institutionalization through policies and systems and impact measurement. To learn more about The Civic 50 and see a list of the other 2021 honorees, visit www.Civic50.org.
About Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. Blue Shield of California is a tax paying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Shield Association with over 4.5 million members, over 7,500 employees and more than $21 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid, and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $150 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation in the last four years to have an impact on California communities.
For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit news.blueshieldca.com.
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About Points of Light
Points of Light is a global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world. We envision a world in which every individual discovers the power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant, participatory societies. Through 177 affiliates across 38 countries, and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 5 million volunteers in 16 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people to bear where it’s needed most. For more information, visit www.pointsoflight.org