BCBS Cross gives 2 BlueAngel grants

PROVIDENCE – Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island has awarded two more 2015 BlueAngel Community Health Grants.
A $38,000 grant has been awarded toward a collaboration between Crossroads Rhode Island and the YMCA Greater Providence and West Bay branches to provide yearlong exercise and nutrition programming—including XBOX exercise games—to homeless children at the Crossroads Providence Family Shelter, and also to youth residents at the Kingstown Crossings complex.
Approximately 300 children and 200 parents will participate.
Another grant for $30,000 has been awarded to the children and parents served by Clínica Esperanza/Hope Clinic. The clinic provides ongoing primary care to nearly 1,500 enrolled patients and serves thousands more through its walk-in clinic, health screens and health education programs.
The Healthy Active Children program (Ninos Activos y Sanos) will focus on nutrition, physical activity and parenting practices to help low-income families succeed at making healthy changes in their lives, enrolling up to 60 participants each year.
The costs of childhood obesity show that if the average body mass index in Rhode Island was reduced by five percent it could lead to health care savings of more than $850 million in 10 years and $2 billion in 20 years.
Michele Lederberg, chief administrative officer and general counsel for BCBSRI, said the grants help innovative programs at these organizations have an impact.
“By working with families, the Healthy Active Children program provides the kind of full family engagement needed to fight childhood obesity, Lederberg said. “We are proud to help the development of this program, and to further strengthen our partnership with [the clinic].”
In total, six new grants and three transitional grants totaling $319,000 are being announced gradually. Grant award winners were notified in December and funding began in January.

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