Civic Leadership

Providing leadership and advocacy on issues affecting the health of communities is a central tenet of our corporate mission.

During the winter of 2009, Project Bread, one of the Commonwealth's leading anti-hunger organizations, reported 522,000 people had struggled to put food on the table—with one third of families cutting their children's meal portions—or entire meals—because of the lack of available food. For Tim O'Brien, senior vice president of sales, that number was more than a stark statistic. It was a call to action.

"We're health coverage providers, so we understand the impact of hunger and know the correlation between hunger, poverty, obesity, the health of our citizens, and the vitality of our communities. But, we're human beings, too. A hungry infant—a senior in need—is not acceptable. And, so we walk, invest in solutions, and do what we can to demonstrate we're all in this together." Providing leadership and advocacy on issues affecting the health of communities is a central tenet of our corporate mission. Alliances with the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, United Way, and other leading not-for-profit organizations, help extend our reach and ensure a sustained impact.

Our partnership with Project Bread reflects a breadth of resources aligned toward a singular goal. In our fifth year as flagship sponsor of the Walk for Hunger, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts raised more than $1.25 million through employee fundraising, sponsorships, and matching gifts. In addition to critically needed financial resources, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts provided hundreds of volunteers, promotional efforts, vendor recruitment, and shared expertise to increase organizational efficiency. Tim O'Brien provided leadership and counsel as a member of Project Bread's board of directors, and stewarded the partnership and recruitment for the company. Ellen Parker, executive director of Project Bread, attests, "This relationship goes far beyond donations. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is actively involved in our mission."