CareFirst provides $575,000 to West Baltimore nonprofits

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield announced contributions totaling $575,000 to five nonprofit organizations working to improve the health and well-being of residents in West Baltimore.

The following organizations will receive funding to expand access to health care and community services to more than 4,500 residents of West Baltimore:

• Penn North Recovery Center – $50,000 to expand substance abuse treatment and comprehensive care management services;

• Health Care for the Homeless – $300,000 over the next three years to support its new federally qualified health clinic in West Baltimore;

• Associated Catholic Charities – $50,000 for a therapeutic after-school program at the Penn North Kids Safe Zone;

• University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation – $100,000 for the Sandtown Skilled Nursing Home Pilot Telemedicine Program; and,

• Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation – $75,000 for a Badges for Baseball mentoring program.

“CareFirst has a long history of investing in community programs and organizations that not only increase access to basic health care services, but also promote overall wellness and healthy living,” said Maria Harris Tildon, CareFirst Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Community Affairs. “This investment reinforces a commitment we have made to support the community of West Baltimore, and it is an important step in ensuring its citizens have the resources they need.” In response to the unrest that occurred in West Baltimore in April 2015, CareFirst has since contributed almost $800,000 to initiatives directly benefiting residents of the community, including $100,000 to immediate relief efforts and nearly $50,000 to local summer camps and enrichment programs for as many as 2,500 West Baltimore youth this past summer.