DURHAM, N.C. – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) is supporting Triangle families this winter by launching a meal delivery program. In collaboration with more than a dozen community organizations, Blue Cross NC will leverage its on-site cafeteria to supply hundreds of meals to individuals in need on weekdays through March. Blue Cross NC will distribute meals cooked fresh on campus by cafeteria partner Compass Group to organizations in Chatham, Durham, Granville, Orange and Wake counties.
“As office cultures shift, Blue Cross NC is finding innovative and meaningful ways to integrate our values in the work we’re doing and realized we could leverage our onsite cafeteria to give more North Carolinians the opportunity to be healthy,” said Kelly Calabria, Chief Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility Officer at Blue Cross NC. “Feeding families facing food insecurity from our own kitchen is an opportunity to provide those in need with access to fresh, nutritious foods that are critical to overall health. It’s also an opportunity for us to encourage other employers to join us and find creative ways to use their physical spaces to serve our communities.”
In 2022, Blue Cross NC transitioned to a hybrid workforce, allowing many of its more than 5,000 employees the opportunity to work remotely. With fewer staff returning to campus, there has been less demand at the on-site cafeteria. The winter meal delivery program puts campus resources to use in a way that benefits the local community.
During the program, meals will be prepared at Blue Cross NC and then distributed to more than a dozen nonprofits in the Triangle and surrounding communities. Partners supported by Blue Cross NC’s winter meal delivery program include Boys and Girls Clubs of Durham and Orange Counties, Community Health Coalition, Durham Children’s Initiative, El Centro, Haven House, Masonic Home for Children of Oxford, PORCH, Urban Ministries of Durham and YMCA of the Triangle.
“Providing fresh cooked meals helps families in need live healthier lives,” said, Charleita Richardson, Chief Executive Officer, Durham Children’s Initiative. “We are honored to work with partners like Blue Cross NC that lead the way in addressing food insecurity in our communities by ensuring access to nutritious foods for those who need it most.”
Partnering with its onsite cafeteria partner, Compass Group, Blue Cross NC plans to distribute meals Monday through Friday through March 31, 2023.
In North Carolina, more than one in seven people face food insecurity and one in five children face hunger. North Carolina is the 10th hungriest state in the nation, where almost 1.6 million households don’t have enough to eat. By helping ensure North Carolinians have access to nutritious foods, Blue Cross NC supports better overall health outcomes in communities facing food insecurity.
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