Blue KC Invested in KC in 2023
As the only local not-for-profit health insurance provider in Kansas City, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) is proud to support our community and the people and organizations who make it great. Looking back at 2023, we made meaningful investments throughout Kansas City and grew partnerships that will make a positive impact for years to come.
During a year of exciting changes in the community – a new airport and the NFL Draft, among others – Blue KC has remained steadfast in our commitment to supporting the work of local nonprofit organizations. With a focus on mental health, health equity, and food access in our region, we partnered in meaningful ways to support those in our community who need it most.
We shined a light on mental health with our Shut Out the Stigma campaign, a partnership with the Kansas City Royals. We provided implicit bias trainings for maternal health providers, and we invested in new and innovative programs to bring food to people where they live, including our Well Stocked initiative. Additionally, we invested more broadly in areas such as education, general wellness, and community initiatives. In total, Blue KC provided funds to over 250 local nonprofits in our region.
Our employees continued to give back their time, treasure, and talents through volunteer time off, group outings, and service on local boards and committees. During April’s National Volunteer Appreciation week, employees donated 424 hours of their time.
Blue KC once again partnered with the United Way of Greater Kansas City for our annual Blue KC Cares Campaign. Our employees raised over $234,000 for the local organizations and initiatives that mean the most to them. We celebrated this achievement with ice cream from the Golden Scoop, a local organization that provides employment for individuals with developmental disabilities, and delicious ice cream.
Blue KC employees voted and selected Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City to be the beneficiary of Blue KC’s 2023 Holiday Giving Campaign. Employees donated gifts for children, household items, snacks, and much more. And Blue KC partnered with the Community Blood Center to host four on-site blood drives throughout the year.
We were honored (and flattered) to receive special recognition from a few of our valued local partners. Happy Bottoms, an organization dedicated to ensuring families have diapers for their children, named Blue KC their Corporate Volunteer of the Year. Our employees always enjoy visiting Happy Bottoms to wrap and stock diapers for families, and, on occasion, we’ve even had Happy Bottoms’ Diaper Mobile at our office to offer a little friendly competition on which Blue KC team can wrap more diapers in the span of an hour! First Call, an organization that supports those in our community who are impacted by substance abuse disorders, recognized Blue KC as its “Philanthropist of the Year in 2023.” And the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, an organization focused on improving the quality of life through charitable giving, recognized Blue KC’s community investment efforts in this “Corporate Giving Success Story.”
Founded in 1938, Blue KC is woven into the fabric of Kansas City. Looking back at the past 85 years, we’re truly proud of the work we’ve accomplished with our local partners and the meaningful investments we’ve made. There’s much to celebrate! We’re certainly excited about the future, and we look forward to helping keep Kansas City healthy for another 85 years.
