Boys & Girls Clubs of Milwaukee, Anthem Foundation Partner to Serve Kids In New Ways During COVID-19 Crisis

MILWAUKEE (May 20, 2020) – The Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation announced today that it is directing $110,000 to support Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and other Boys & Girls Clubs in Green Bay, Fox Valley, Kenosha and Oshkosh in their efforts to offer youth safe, virtual programming and supplementary meals during the COVID-19 health crisis.

Boys & Girls Clubs across the state have been forced to quickly transition their vital services to Wisconsin’s youth, but their goal remains the same: providing kids with a safe space where they can learn and grow.  In Milwaukee, the Boys & Girls Clubs will use funding to support new operational requirements to ensure Club kids enjoy a healthy and productive environment.

“Many of our members rely on school and our Clubs to meet their daily nutritional needs, as well as for support fulfilling their academic requirements. With both school and the Clubs closed, we knew it was critically important for us to provide Milwaukee youth an alternate way to access healthy food and educational support,” said BGCGM President and CEO, Kathy Thornton-Bias. “Our staff has risen to the challenge and continues to take care of Milwaukee youth just like we have been for the past 133 years.”

Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, Boys & Girls Clubs of Milwaukee has provided area youth with more than 100,000 meals, 350 hours of online educational content, more than 5,000 books, puzzles and educational games, and more. Their staff has also personally connected with club families more than 7,000 times during the Safer At Home order to understand their needs and adjust our services to meet those needs.

“The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee’s quick and effective transition of services to continue its mission in the face of a global pandemic is a great example of Wisconsin’s creativity and sprit of service,” said Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin President Paul Nobile. “We’re proud to continue supporting Wisconsin Boys & Girls Clubs and our communities. They can count on us through this crisis and beyond.”

The grants are part of a $900,000 ongoing commitment that Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin and its Foundation have made to support Wisconsin nonprofit organizations on the front lines of the pandemic. The Foundation has been working with partner nonprofit organizations to support emergency response, food access, personal protective equipment supplies, education, cancer support, and virtual youth programming. Approximately $680,000 has already been committed to organizations across the state, with another $210,000 slated for emerging needs in the coming weeks and months.

If you would like to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee mission, visit bgcgm.club/donate.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (BGCGM), one of the largest and longest youth-serving agencies in Milwaukee, offers structured after-school and summer programming to nearly 5,000 children and teens each day. Within the safety of 45 locations, youth have access to free meals, academic support, role models, and opportunities to build character and explore new interests. More than 80 percent of the organization’s annual budget goes toward youth programming. For more information, please visit www.bgcmilwaukee.org.

About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation

Through charitable grant making, the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation LLC, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, promotes Anthem’s inherent commitment to improving lives and communities. Through strategic partnerships and programs, the Foundation addresses the social drivers that will help create a healthier generation of Americans in communities that the company serves. The Foundation focuses its funding on critical initiatives that make up its Healthy Generations Program, a multi-generational initiative that targets: maternal health, diabetes prevention, cancer prevention, heart health and healthy, active lifestyles, behavioral health efforts and programs that benefit people with disabilities. The Foundation also coordinates the company’s year-round Dollars for Dollars program which provides a 100 percent match of associates’ donations, as well as its Volunteer Time Off and Dollars for Doers community service programs.  ®ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. To learn more about the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, please visit http://www.anthem.foundation and its blog at https://medium.com/anthemfoundation.