When residents in Los Angeles and San Diego counties experienced delays in food-assistance benefits in November, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan stepped in to help ease the burden. Through donations to food banks, grocery gift cards and member-focused Food Resource Events, Blue Shield Promise has been working to make a meaningful difference.
“Food insecurity is a serious challenge for many of our members and communities in Los Angeles and San Diego, with November an especially difficult time for many,” said Kristen Cerf, president and CEO of Blue Shield Promise. “At Blue Shield Promise, we are deeply committed to supporting our members’ immediate needs because we know that access to healthy food is fundamental to their overall well-being.”
These efforts reflect Blue Shield Promise’s ongoing commitment to addressing everyday challenges — like access to food and housing — that affect the overall well-being of people in communities across Southern California.
Connecting families to essential services and resources
In November, Blue Shield Promise hosted two Food Resource Events, providing vital support to more than 500 members and connecting over 50 individuals with referrals to local services — including food banks, behavioral health care, housing assistance and resources for intimate partner violence. Members also received referrals to Blue Shield Promise’s care management team and GEDWorks program, which helps members earn their high school equivalency diploma. Events were held at the Blue Shield Promise Information Resource Center in Huntington Park and at a community center in San Diego.
One Blue Shield Promise member, Larissa Cohen, traveled more than two hours with her mother, Triya, to attend the Huntington Park event and receive assistance applying for CalFresh benefits. Triya shared that she had spent over two hours on the phone the previous day trying to reach the county for help. She expressed her gratitude, saying she was grateful for how helpful and friendly staff members were.
In San Diego County, a 95-year-old woman and her son traveled more than 30 miles from Escondido to attend the San Diego event and expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the grocery gift cards which they said were especially helpful and a blessing during these challenging times.
Another Blue Shield Promise member had been facing significant financial challenges and came to the San Diego event for help with getting food. Due to concerns about immigration activity, he had been working less and had lost access to his CalFresh benefits. At the San Diego event, a community health advocate stepped in to help — assisting him with a new CalFresh application and scheduling the interview required to complete his eligibility evaluation. He left the event with two grocery gift cards and feeling hopeful and deeply appreciative.
A boost for food banks
Beyond helping members one-on-one, Blue Shield Promise is also investing in community organizations that are ensuring families have access to nutritious food. Blue Shield Promise strengthened the efforts of three food banks in Los Angeles and San Diego counties with a total commitment of $750,000 to fight food insecurity, donating $250,000 each to Feeding San Diego, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, and Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank.
Feeding San Diego’s share will enable the food bank to provide an estimated 500,000 meals to families. The donation was announced during a volunteer event where 20 Blue Shield Promise team members sorted and prepared 5,243 pounds of bread for distribution to local families.
"We are extremely grateful to Blue Shield Promise for this extraordinary gift,” said Bob Kamensky, chief executive officer of Feeding San Diego. “It’s rare and significant for a health plan provider to step forward in such an impactful way to address food insecurity — a challenge that’s inseparable from overall health and well-being. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to building healthier communities by ensuring everyone has access to healthy meals."
A helping hand for all
Blue Shield Promise and L.A. Care Health Plan also worked to provide direct support to community members -- distributing more than 26,000 gift cards to visitors at 14 Community Resource Centers throughout Los Angeles County that are jointly operated by the two health plans. Center visitors also received assistance connecting to local food banks, social services and other organizations for support.
“Food security and nutrition are essential components of healthy living, just as much as vaccinations and doctor visits,” said Cerf. “We’re proud to work with our partners in the community and support them and the health of our members at such a crucial time.”
Members can find out about more food assistance on the Blue Shield Promise website: https://www.blueshieldca.com/en/bsp/medi-cal-members/member-resources/food-assistance-resources.
Learn more about Blue Shield Promise, here.
