United Way of North Carolina announced that Blue Cross & Blue Shield of North Carolina 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.” says 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 & Blue Shield of North Carolina 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 & Blue Shield and shine a light on their commitment to ensure every North Carolinian had access to services and supports in 2020.” says Marx.
United Way of North Carolina will honor Blue Cross & Blue Shield of North Carolina 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.
