PROVIDENCE – Through its BlueAngel Community Health Grant program, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island has awarded $375,000 in grants to six groups that are working to improve access to safe and affordable housing throughout the Ocean State.
“Imagine going about your day and not knowing if you had a place for you and your family to sleep at night. That’s the reality for far too many Rhode Islanders,” said Martha Wofford, Blue Cross CEO and president. “The pandemic has exacerbated this long-standing crisis. Without a safe, stable and affordable place to call home, people will continue to struggle and their health will suffer. Blue Cross investments in housing are at the heart of our commitment to work with the community to achieve health equity for every person in the state.”
Housing has been a philanthropic focus for Blue Cross since 2019, when results from the RI Life Index, a statewide survey conducted by the insurer, showed that access to safe, affordable housing is a top concern across Rhode Island.
The 2022 BlueAngel Community Health Grant recipients are:
- Direct Action for Rights and Equality, or DARE – Providence.
- Housing Network of Rhode Island – Pawtucket.
- NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley – Woonsocket.
- ONE Neighborhood Builders – Providence.
- Pawtucket Central Falls Development – Pawtucket.
- Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness – Pawtucket.
Elizabeth Graham is a PBN contributing writer.
