Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation Awards $2M to Build Community Connections and Reduce Social Isolation
EAGAN, MINN. (July 12, 2023) — The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation has awarded $2M in grants over two years to 13 Minnesota nonprofit organizations. These grants are part of the Foundation’s Healthy Connections program, which seeks to increase social connections within and across communities and generations to reduce social isolation.
“There is strong evidence on the health impacts of social isolation and loneliness,” said Bukata Hayes, chair of the Blue Cross Foundation board, and vice president of racial and health equity and chief equity officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. “The U.S. Surgeon General’s recent report on the epidemic of loneliness highlights that isolation can be as harmful to health as smoking up to 15 cigarettes per day, while the American Heart Association links feelings of loneliness to heart disease and stroke. These significant health impacts highlight the need to actively address this issue. In doing so, we can improve health outcomes long before the need for medical care.”
Examples of how grantee partners will use this funding include:
- Reducing loneliness among recent Afghan arrivals
- Building intergenerational connections between Latine elders and youth
- Fostering appreciation and understanding of different cultures and traditions
- Reducing social isolation, loneliness, and feelings of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation among LGBTQ youth
- Using storytelling to build empathy and bridge gaps
“These grants are the latest way the Blue Cross Foundation is living our mission of building strong community partnerships to advance racial and health equity,” continued Hayes. “Social isolation may be experienced differently throughout different communities, and we believe communities hold the answers and the solutions to this issue. We’re proud to support these organizations as we work together to pave the way for everyone to live their healthiest life.”
The following organizations were selected to receive Healthy Connections grants. Learn more here.
- Alight, Minneapolis
- Centro Tyrone Guzman, Minneapolis
- Green Card Voices, Minneapolis
- Hispanic Outreach Program of Goodhue County, Red Wing
- Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association, Rochester
- Irreducible Grace Foundation, St. Paul
- Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota, Minneapolis
- Liberty Community Church, Minneapolis
- Northland Foundation, Duluth
- Queerspace Collective, Minneapolis
- Rabata, Arden Hills
- Rise, Spring Lake Park
- Tiwahe Foundation, St. Paul