PROVIDENCE – Applications are now being accepted for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island’s 2022 BlueAngel Community Health grants.
The insurer is looking to fund initiatives from nonprofits that support access to safe, affordable housing. This year, Blue Cross is especially interested in ways that health and human services community organizations are reacting to current needs.
To apply, organizations should submit a letter of intent before July 23. Letters are reviewed by a committee, which will select agencies to submit full proposals for funding. Programs and organizations that are awarded grants will be announced in December.
This year’s round of grants will continue to reflect the RI Life Index, which found that access to safe and affordable housing is a top-of-mind concern for many in Rhode Island.
As a result of the study, Blue Cross in 2020 began awarding BlueAngel Community Health grants to organizations that offered varied housing-related services, including legal protections, landlord outreach and transitional housing.
“We are focused on investing in programs and initiatives where health and housing intersect. Housing stability, quality, safety and affordability all affect health outcomes,” said Carolyn Belisle, Blue Cross managing director of corporate social responsibility.
Through the 2022 round of grants, Blue Cross says it hopes to fund efforts that result in more Rhode Islanders living in safe and stable housing, increase awareness on housing’s link to overall health and encourage collaborations across sectors that result in housing solutions.
For information on the application process, visit bcbsri.com/about/blueangel or email blueangel.news@bcbsri.org.
Elizabeth Graham is a PBN contributing writer.
