Cary, NC – United Way of North Carolina announced that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) has been awarded the Excellence in Community Spirit Award. For more than 24 years, United Way of North Carolina has recognized companies and organizations who have demonstrated exceptional investment in North Carolina communities through their Spirit of North Carolina Award process.

2020 presented physical, economic, and emotional challenges to thousands of North Carolinians due to the impacts of COVID-19. Households experienced job loss or furlough, at-home learning, shifts to a virtual work environment and so much more.

“Families who were already financially insecure found themselves dialing 2-1-1 to get connected with health and human services programs, many of whom had never had to reach out for support before,” said Laura Marx, President of United Way of North Carolina. “Due to this increased need, NC 211 answered a record 206,000 calls in 2020 – a 54% increase from 2019.”

Blue Cross NC immediately stepped in to financially support NC 211, ensuring that capacity kept up with demand. NC 211 was able to meet the rapidly growing need for services after Governor Cooper activated the call center on March 18th in response to the pandemic.

“It is an honor to present the Excellence in Community Spirit award to Blue Cross NC and shine a light on their commitment to ensure every North Carolinian had access to services and supports in 2020,” said Marx.

United Way of North Carolina will honor Blue Cross NC at their virtual Annual Meeting on March 3rd. For more information about the Spirit of North Carolina Award and a complete list of winners, visit unitedwaync.org/spirit-north-carolina-award-winners.

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About United Way of North Carolina

United Way of North Carolina is a statewide organization, representing 51 local United Way organizations. Our mission is to increase the capability of the United Way system to improve the quality of human life in North Carolina.

About the Spirit of North Carolina Award

The Spirit of North Carolina Award offers United Ways in NC communities an opportunity to honor organizations whose United Way campaigns exemplify the “spirit” of their community. Winners meet specific standards of achievement and are selected by a team of United Way leaders from across the state. United Way of North Carolina leads the award nomination and judging process and presents the award annually. For more information, contact Anita Barker, Director of Education and Engagement, at 919-834-5200 or abarker@unitedwaync.org.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) is committed to making health care better, simpler and more affordable. We have been driving better health in North Carolina since 1933, working to tackle our communities’ greatest health challenges. Blue Cross NC serves its customers and communities of more than 3.8 million members, including approximately 1.1 million on behalf of other Blue Plans. Blue Cross NC is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Visit Blue Cross NC online at www.bluecrossnc.com. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.