Blue Shield of California Provides $300,000 to Support Youth Development, Social Justice, and Health Equity in Communities of Color in Inland Empire

OAKLAND — Blue Shield of California today announced $300,000 in community investments to nonprofit organizations,  including six in the Inland Empire, that advance the health and well-being of youth and communities of color. The funding supports initiatives focused on youth development, social justice, and health equity.

Twelve organizations – six in the San Francisco Bay Area and six in the Inland Empire region of Southern California – will each receive $25,000 for a range of initiatives, including art programs, mentorship, technology training, housing, and social justice activism.

The announcement coincides with today’s National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, as well as May’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and builds on the work of Blue Shield’s signature BlueSky youth mental health initiative. Blue Shield created BlueSky because youth mental illness is a pressing issue that demands early intervention: it’s the number one reason California children are hospitalized, and half of all lifetime cases begin by the age of 14.

“These organizations are taking on hard challenges and finding new, innovative ways to inspire Black, Hispanic, Asian and foster youth to live their healthiest, most productive, and fulfilling lives,” said Kimberley Goode, senior vice president of External Affairs, Blue Shield of California. “As a nonprofit health plan whose goal is to help improve the health and well-being of all Californians, Blue Shield is honored to collaborate and provide our support.

“Local nonprofits are key to building a healthier California as they work to break down barriers to well-being and economic opportunities and reduce stigma around mental health,” Goode added. “Blue Shield selected this diverse group of  organizations, who are trusted experts, working on the ground in their communities to drive meaningful change.”

The Inland Empire organizations receiving funding are:

100 Black Men of the Inland Empire
TODEC Legal Center
RAICES
Building Resilience In African American Families
Reach-Out
Asian American Resource Center

“This funding couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Pepi Jackson, president of the Riverside County Black Chamber of Commerce, which supports the Building Resilience in African American Families organization. “It will immediately help us to increase the character building services we provide to our young girls and boys who live in some of the most vulnerable communities in the Inland Empire. Thank you, Blue Shield!”

 

Image Sources

  • Black male: PIxabay