Hartford Business Journal

G I V I N G G U I D E 2015 www.HartfordBusiness.com December 15, 2015 • Hartford Business Journal 35 ABOUT US Year established: 1980 Annual revenues: N/A (most recent fiscal year) Total number of employees: 10 GEOGRAPHIC SERVICE AREA(S) The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation serves communities throughout Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. TOP FUNDING SOURCES N/A The Harvard Pilgrim Foundation continues to invest in the Hartford Food System to support the operations of a mobile farmer's market in Hartford. This program is jointly run with the Hispanic Health Council and brings fresh fruits and vegetables year-round to individuals in need. This year, to celebrate the creation of the Harvard Pilgrim Healthy Food Fund, the Foundation focused its first round of grants on local garden and community farming programs to increase access to fresh, local food for low- and moderate-income families. Connecticut organizations to which the Foundation provided nearly $46,000 in grants include: Beat the Street Community Center in Meriden, Billings Forge Community Works in Hartford, Boys & Girls Club of Bristol Family Center, Christian Activities Council in Hartford, and the Town of Manchester. Another stand-out initiative is the Foundation's mini-grant program. Established to commemorate Harvard Pilgrim members who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, Harvard Pilgrim and the Foundation created a grants program that allows each employee to award a $500 grant, completely funded by the Foundation, to the local charity of his or her choice each year. In 2014, more than $550,000 was distributed through mini-grants to hundreds of nonprofit organizations throughout the region. GOALS • Improve the health of the communities that Harvard Pilgrim Health Care serves. • Continue to increase access to fresh foods for low- and middle- income families. • Expand opportunities for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care staff to give and serve in local communities. • Promote Health Equity and Inclusion. • Create heightened visibility for healthy eating and active living. VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Harvard Pilgrim employees improve the communities in which they live and work through Harvard Pilgrim's Employee Service and Giving initiative. This program enables employees to give and serve through company-sponsored days of volunteering. In May of this year, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care employees joined members of Hands on Hartford for the 2nd annual Employee Service Day at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in Hartford. More than 30 volunteers participated, helping to build a community garden, painting educational murals, and offering clinics and materials that promote fitness and nutrition. Over the years, Harvard Pilgrim employees — along with partners and members of the business community — have contributed to hundreds of volunteer efforts including improving local schools and camps; donating clothing, school supplies and computer equipment; supporting disaster relief efforts; and serving at community organizations such as soup kitchens and shelters. In 2014, 97% of Harvard Pilgrim employees participated in at least one form of service or giving. Josh Kraft Boys & Girls Club of Boston Elinor Goldberg Charles Deutsch, ScD Harvard School of Public Health Ruth Ellen Fitch, Esq. Patricia A. Walrath Marianne E. Felice, M.D. UMass Medical School Program Committee Chair Martin D. Cohen MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation Heidi Brooks The Schott Foundation for Public Education Lisa DeSisto MaineToday Media Tom Boucher Great NH Restaurants, Inc. Joseph F. O'Donnell Dartmouth Medical School Treasurer Beth Creavin Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Clerk Suzanne Finn Harvard Pilgrim Health Care President Karen Voci Chair of the Foundation Board Eric Schultz Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation 185 Asylum Street, Hartford, CT 06103 | 860-757-6935 Foundation: 93 Worcester Street, Wellesley, MA 02481 | 617-509-9411 www.hphc.org/foundation OUR MISSION: Created in 1980, The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation supports Harvard Pilgrim's mission to improve the quality and value of health care for the people and communities we serve throughout Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Since its inception, the Foundation has provided more than $133 million in grants. BOARD OF DIRECTORS " " R eceiving the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation's Healthy Food Fund grant helped the Spruce Street Community Garden in Manchester, CT grow exponentially. With their funding, we installed water tanks, a shed, and hired a coordinator for the garden. Having a dedicated staff member helped us grow from four gardeners to eleven, and we now have more community events and educational opportunities. We believe that the improvements we made, due to the Harvard Pilgrim grant, set the stage for us to receive a Community Development Block Grant that will allow us to continue beautifying our neighborhood and providing residents with access to healthy, local, organic food next year. – Becky Coates , Spruce Street Community Garden Coordinator, Office of Neighborhoods and Families, Manchester, CT With the help of a Harvard Pilgrim Foundation grant, Becky Coates, Spruce Street Community Garden coordinator, tends one of the raised garden beds, as volunteers help build a shed to store garden equipment.

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