Giving Tuesday 2019: Regence supports community health and well-being

On Tuesday, Dec. 3, we celebrate #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving that also marks the beginning of our Celebration of Giving, a weeklong effort to formally kick off the 2019 charitable season.
Year-round, employee donations are boosted with a 50-percent match from our corporate foundation to further support the dedicated nonprofits serving our communities. Last year, we collectively donated over $2.1 million to nearly 2,800 community organizations the country.
At Regence, we like to say that giving back is in our DNA – it’s an important part of what we do. Alongside our nonprofit partners, we are committed to improving the health and well-being of the communities we serve. Below are a few examples.
Fresh, healthy food in Utah
In 2019, we began partnering with Green Urban Lunch Box, which provides food education and access for the greater Salt Lake City area. Through its Back-Farms program, volunteers build, cultivate and maintain organic gardens in seniors’ backyards. The harvest is then split between the homeowner, volunteers and local farmers markets to increase local access to fresh fruit and vegetables.
This year, we supported 12 new gardens that distributed over 13,000 pounds of free produce to local senior centers.
Learn more about our partnership with Green Urban Lunch Box.
Physical activity and youth empowerment in Idaho

August 2019 marked the launch of an extended partnership between Regence and Girls on the Run of Treasure Valley, a nonprofit that offers physical activity programs and youth empowerment for elementary school-aged girls.
Our support helped with the organization’s continued expansion across the Treasure Valley to reach more girls and build the next generation of fearless, confident women. Some of our employees also coach local Girls on the Run teams, as well as volunteered at a recent 5K race that marked the winter season’s end.
Learn more about our partnership with Girls on the Run of Treasure Valley.
Food insecurity in Oregon

Today, one in eight Oregonians is food insecure, meaning they don’t know where their next meal will come from.
To help address this community-wide issue, Regence partners with local nonprofits like the Oregon Food Bank and the Farmers Market Fund to increase access to nutritious food and education.
We invest in the Oregon Food Bank’s Food, Education, Agriculture, Solutions, Together (FEAST) program, which mobilizes communities around improving their local food systems; and the Farmers Market Fund’s Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) program matches Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits dollar for dollar, helping make locally grown fruits and vegetables more accessible for all.
Learn more about our partnership with the Oregon Food Bank and the Farmers Market Fund.
Health services for families in Washington experiencing homelessness

In 2019, we continued our long-standing support for Mary’s Place, a King County-based nonprofit that helps thousands of families navigate out of homelessness by providing safe, inclusive shelters and services. Our monetary contribution this year went directly to support a growing need: funding the expansion of the nonprofit’s Health Services program to each of its shelters and drop-in centers. This includes innovative programs like Popsicle Place, which provides comfort and care for families with children facing life-threatening illnesses; and Baby’s Best Start, which helps houseless moms and newborns bond and recover in a private setting.
In mid-November, Mary’s Place launched its annual No Child Sleeps Outside Campaign, which Regence also proudly supports.
Learn more about our partnership with Mary’s Place.