March 11, 2019
Des Moines, IA — Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Dakota employees helped build stronger communities by sharing their time, talents and gifts through The Wellmark Foundation's BluesCare GivingSM program resulting in more than $193,000 in funding to nonprofit organizations across the state. Employees also provided more than 2,000 volunteer hours to a wide-variety of nonprofit organizations located throughout South Dakota.
Through The Wellmark Foundation's BluesCare Giving program, employees are encouraged to log their volunteer hours which earn them the opportunity to direct monetary donations to non-profit organizations of their choice. Wellmark employees also may request a matching gift for personal contributions to nonprofit organizations through the BluesCare Giving program.
"Thanks to the Wellmark Foundation's BluesCare Giving program, nearly 18,000 meals were provided to residents of South Dakota who might otherwise go hungry," said Matt Gassen, CEO of Feeding South Dakota. "We are so incredibly grateful to the Wellmark employees for their gifts of time and talent to help end hunger in South Dakota."
Through the BluesCare Giving program, 86 organizations throughout South Dakota received funding in 2018.
The top-five South Dakota organizations chosen by Wellmark employees to receive matching funds from The Wellmark Foundation's BluesCare Giving program included:
- Bishop Dudley Hospitality House
- Cavalier King Charles Club Rescue Inc.
- South Dakota State University Foundation
- Feeding South Dakota
- University of Sioux Falls
Since 2012, more than $945,000 has been distributed to nonprofit organizations in South Dakota under The Wellmark Foundation BluesCare Giving program.
