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8 Worcester Business Journal • Giving Guide 2014 www.wbjournal.com Nonprofit Status 2014 (continued) F or more than 35 years, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care has built a reputation for exceptional clinical quality, preventive care, disease management and member satisfaction. To achieve its goal of improving the quality and value of health care for its members and the communities that it serves, the com- pany created the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation. Since its inception in 1980, the Foundation has worked to support Harvard Pilgrim Health Care's mission by offering tools, training and funding for programs that help prevent childhood obesity, engaging Harvard Pilgrim Health Care employees in community service and giving, and training practitioners in culturally competent care. "We know that working with communities and encouraging healthy eating and active living is the best way to help families maintain a healthy lifestyle," said Karen Voci, president of the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation. Focused on helping families have access to fresh food, the Harvard Pilgrim Foundation has funded the Regional Environmental Council's Mobile Farmers Market – also known as the Veggie Mobile – for the last two years. This farmer's market on wheels makes weekly stops in low- income neighborhoods, at public parks, public and senior housing facilities, com- munity health centers and social service agencies. In collaboration with Worcester-area physician practices, the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation funds Let's Go! Healthcare, a program that encourages more than 61,000 children age 18 and under, along with their families, to engage in physi- cal activity and make healthy food selections. In addition, the Foundation provided a $100,000 grant for healthy cooking classes at Boys & Girls Clubs in Massachusetts this summer and fall. Sally Sampson, found- er of ChopChopKids, a non-profit organization that teaches kids to cook and eat fresh food with their families as a way to prevent childhood obesity, and Bill Yosses, former White House pastry chef and new director of the ChopChop Cooking Lab, are guiding the youngsters in how to prepare, cook and enjoy healthy fare. In addition to financial support, Harvard Pilgrim employees across the region have donated more than 3,321 service hours to various organizations and charitable events; an impressive 98 percent of Harvard Pilgrim employees participate in at least one service or giving activity annually. As part of the Harvard Pilgrim Community Spirit 9/11 Mini-Grants Program, the Foundation awarded $550,000 in mini-grants to close to 600 employee-chosen, non-profit organizations across the four-state region. The Foundation's Culture Insight initiative also works with community health centers and the Worcester Department of Public Health, to help train staff and non-profit organiza- tions in the state's Mass in Motion initiative. Recognizing that education is critical to good health, the Harvard Pilgrim Foundation provided a $35,000 grant to the One City, One Library initiative, enabling the Tatnuck Magnet School to reopen a branch library, providing access to library resources and a trained librarian during and after school hours. "The One City, One Library initiative is critical to helping Worcester students suc- ceed in literacy and life," said Kate McEvoy, vice president, regional market for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. "We are proud to help increase access to reading materials and have a profound impact on our children and their ability to learn." In 2013, the Foundation awarded more than $2.8 million in grants to approxi- mately 650 non-profit organizations in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine. Encouraging healthy habits for a lifetime remains at the heart of Harvard Pilgrim's philosophy. n HARVARD PILGRIM HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION Fostering Healthy Habits F or nearly 100 years, Saint-Gobain has made philanthropy a cornerstone of its mission. From its inception, the company has put people first, committing significant financial and material resources to housing, educational and envi- ronmental projects. Saint-Gobain's prestigious history of giving dates back to the early 1900s when the company supported Worcester Boys Trade School and constructed 59 houses on Indian Hill for some of its employees. However, the founding fathers of Saint-Gobain sought a more organized way to give back to the community. Thus was born the United Way, initially called the "Golden Rule" when it was created 94 years ago. Through the years, Saint-Gobain has maintained a close relationship with the United Way, raising more than $396,000 in 2013 through employee giving and events, such as an auto show, food relay race, executive car wash and campaign raffle. "The United Way connects us with organizations we don't have a connection with already," says Brad Johnson, vice president of Saint-Gobain. For example, through the company's relationship with the United Way of Central Massachusetts, Saint-Gobain became aware of the well-worn gymnasium floor at Girls Inc. Saint-Gobain refinished the floor at no cost and then returned in the fall to restore the auditorium floor. "To commemorate the work and engage with Girls Inc., we held a basketball game. This connection was forged through the United Way," says Johnson. In 2001, Saint-Gobain established its Corporation Foundation, which offers Direct Grants and Community Gifts for housing and community development, educational endeavors, energy conservation, environmental concerns, and STEM programs (sci- ence, technology, education and math), as well as a Matching Gifts program. The Worcester Employee Community Impact Fund, through the generosity of the Foundation, also supports other non-profit organizations, which educate children and help senior citizens. For instance, the Worcester Employee Community Impact Fund recently donated $2,500 to purchase iPads and support scholarships for special educa- tion students at summer camp. The fund also supports Audio Journal and the National Education for Assistance of Dog Services (NEADS) as well as many other deserving non-profit organizations. Additionally, Saint-Gobain provides in-kind donations, including 35,000-square feet of space to the City of Worcester on its Greendale Campus. The city stores its mainte- nance equipment at the site, at a cost savings of half a million dollars. Grants from the Corporation Foundation provided Genesis Club with a new high- efficiency gas heating and cooling system and Abby's House with a new roof. Most recently, Saint-Gobain Corporation Foundation col- laborated with Worcester YouthBuild and Matthew 25 to assist in transforming an abandoned, rundown property into two quality, affordable rental units for low-income families. Saint-Gobain's participation in the American Red Cross' "Adopt-a-Day of Disaster Relief " program, which provides temporary housing for people displaced by a fire or some other emergency, demonstrates the company's dedication to community service. Additionally, Saint-Gobain has supported the YMCA of Central Massachusetts for more than 75 years, contributing millions of dollars in cash and land to the non-profit organization. In 2008, Saint-Gobain donated to the YMCA's building expansion and renovation campaign. Upon completion of the $5.5 million project, the YMCA dedi- cated its new Center for Health and Wellness to Saint-Gobain in tribute to the histori- cal partnership between the two organizations. Improving the quality of life for its employees and the communities in which the company operates is woven into Saint-Gobain's core philosophy. n SAINT-GOBAIN | A Century of Giving