Gov. Edwards Extends Louisiana’s Public Health Emergency, Requires Masking in Most State Offices
December 21, 2021
Buddy John LeBouef
December 22, 2021
Fletcher Technical Community has named The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation as its 2021 Organization of the year at the institution’s 5th Annual Chancellor Breakfast.
“We do these awards at our annual Chancellor Breakfast, and this year we chose the Blue Cross Blue Shield Louisiana Foundation after receiving several grants this year to help with our nursing program, along with Hurricane Ida relief efforts.” said Logan Borne, Fletcher College Development and Grant Officer .
In addition to supporting Fletcher’s nursing program, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation granted more than $3 million dollars to nonprofit organizations across Louisiana following Hurricane Ida. Efforts supported through the foundation grant funding include:
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$200,000 for providing food to kids, financially insecure families and seniors
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$750,000 to provide support for resource coordination efforts and direct financial assistance for families
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$1 million to support hands-on rebuilding operations and housing assistance
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$950,000 for regional groups organizing disaster response in communities across Louisiana, and support of nonprofits through community relief funds operated by local community foundations
Borne said Fletcher is currently working on a project with BCBSLA to help expand the nursing program due to a national faculty storage. “They’re working with us to expand our nursing program. They’ve given us funding for the Bayou Region Nursing Faculty project, so that we’ll be able to hire more nursing faculty to expand our classes and programs because of the nursing shortage in the region right now.” Borne added “With the Hurricane Relief effort we were able to award emergency funds to students, faculty, and staff, who may have needed it. We were able to have a distribution with their help and other Hurricane Relief efforts we received”
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation works each day to improve the health and lives of Louisianians by empowering everyday people to do extraordinary good. By building and funding coalitions of friends, families and neighbors, the Foundation hopes to build a healthier Louisiana, particularly for its children. The Foundation is funded solely by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, but is a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity. Together, Blue Cross
Since 2020, the Foundation has committed $15 million in disaster response grant funding and delivered more than $13 million to nonprofits and community organizations across the state. In addition to Hurricane Ida relief, this includes work related to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing needs and relief work for Hurricane Laura, which devastated southwest Louisiana last year.
“We’re very appreciative of them, and we look forward to working in the future with their partnership” Borne added.
