Regence employees donate more than 3,000 pounds of food in first annual food drive
PORTLAND, Ore. – Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon announced today that it has entered into a three year partnership with Oregon Food Bank and committed $250,000 in financial support to the organization. In addition, Regence employees donated more than 3,000 pounds of food in the first annual employee food drive – enough to provide more than 2,350 meals. Employees also donated $2,200 to help Oregon Food bank purchase food.
“The foundation for a healthy life is a healthy meal," said Jared Short, President of Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon. "Regence is proud to partner with Oregon Food Bank to provide Oregonians the strength they need to navigate life’s challenging times. Regence and Oregon Food Bank have a rich history of service. We’re excited to bring that passion and collective dedication together, as we work to end hunger and improve the health of Oregonians.”
Regence’s partnership with Oregon Food Bank is part of the company’s Community Partner Organization program, which aims to provide nonprofits in the community with financial support and employee volunteers. Regence has committed $250,000 in financial support to Oregon Food Bank for business and organizational support as it continues to grow and evolve as an organization. As part of the partnership, Regence employees in Portland will support and volunteer at Oregon Food Bank, and employees in Salem and Medford will support the regional food banks in their communities.
“We’re excited about this partnership with Regence BlueCross BlueShield. We applaud its significant commitment to advancing best- practices to help Oregon Food Bank become ever more effective in its fight against hunger,” said Rachel Bristol, CEO, Oregon Food Bank.
Due to a struggling economy coupled with high food and fuel costs, distribution of emergency food has soared to record levels. In an average month, close to a quarter-of-a-million people in Oregon and southwest Washington eat meals from an emergency food box to fend off hunger. One third of those are children.
About Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon is a leading health plan in Oregon, with nearly 750,000 members, offering health, life and dental insurance. Regence is the largest health insurer in the Northwest / Intermountain Region, serving nearly 2.5 million members as Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Regence BlueShield (selected counties in Washington). Each plan is a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Regence is committed to improving the health of our members and our communities, and to transforming our health care system. For more information, please visit www.regence.com or www.twitter.com/RegenceOregon.