CVS donates $5.6M for health care, other initiatives nationwide

WOONSOCKET – Through both the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust and corporate coffers, the retail pharmacy and pharmacy benefit management giant reported giving more than $5.6 million in grants to programs across the country in 2012 to help improve access to health care as well as help children with special needs.
Two local nonprofits, Family Service of Rhode Island and the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation, received grants to support their programs from the company’s charitable trust. Family Service’s grant of $43,000 will be split among three areas: helping to provide communication technology for children with autism and other communication disorders, to support best-practice training for those dealing with autistic people, and support for childcare providers. The Gemma Foundation will use its $30,000 grant to implement a one-year breast health education program.
“We are thrilled to support deserving nonprofit organizations that share our commitment to helping people on their path to better health,” said Eileen Howard Boone, president, CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, in a statement. “As we strive to build healthier communities in 2013, we are honored to recognize the efforts of organizations in Rhode Island and the important work they do to make a difference in the lives of children and families in the communities we serve.”
In addition to the local support, the charitable trust focused its support across the country on four major areas:

  • Access to health care – Grants of more than $680,000 went to programs that ranged from wellness programs for military veterans to breast screenings for underserved women.
  • Coordinated care – In support of creating coordination among all medical and treatment services for children with disabilities, the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust awarded more than $285,000 in grants.
  • Early intervention – More than $400,000 went to programs that help identify developmental delays or behavioral problems in children under 5, creating opportunities for earlier intervention.
  • Inclusion – Grants totaling more than $780,000 went to support programs that helped include all children, no matter ability, in learning and play environments.

In addition to the charitable giving made by the company’s Charitable Trust, CVS Caremark provided more than $3 million last year in support of community programs across the nation, including for playgrounds for children with disabilities, scholarship programs at pharmacy schools and for children of CVS Caremark employees, grants made on behalf of employees who apply for a specific nonprofit they volunteer for and natural disaster relief across the country.
In addition, the company gave $100,000 to the United Way of Rhode Island to support its BrightStars initiative, which is designed to help families access quality child care, early learning and school-age programs.

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