Minnesota food shelves saw a record 5.5 million visits in 2022, demonstrating a clear ongoing need for access to healthy food across the state.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota partners with the Minnesota FoodShare campaign each March because access to healthy food is a key social determinant of health.  A nutritious, high-quality diet contributes to success in work, school, and the community.

May Vang, vice president, treasurer and chief investment officer at Blue Cross, served as executive sponsor of this year’s campaign and is grateful for organizations like Minnesota FoodShare.

“As refugees from Thailand, my family received the essentials we needed to survive from generous contributions from similar food share organizations,” Vang said. “I have heard countless stories of my family when survival was about food and the lack thereof in refugee camps in Thailand. Reflecting on lived experiences with my parents and families that had to skip meals or eat only occasionally to provide enough food for the rest of their family is difficult.”

This year, Blue Cross associates raised nearly $40,000 in donations benefiting 73 food shelves statewide. A dollar-for-dollar match from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation brought the grand total raised to more than $79,000. Half of the match goes toward the food shelf of the associate’s choice and the other 50 cents goes toward the MN FoodShare Food Fund, supporting nearly 300 food shelves across the state.

Samantha Foster, business implementation lead at Blue Cross served as a giving lead for the medical management team during the event and said the campaign opened her eyes to the impact food insecurity can have on Minnesotans in need.

Foster hopes the campaign removes some of the stigma around seeking assistance and inspires associates to further engage in their communities.

“It doesn’t have to be monetary donations,” Foster said. “Blue Cross associates can utilize their Volunteer Paid Time Off to donate their time, energy or expertise in an area that is meaningful to them.”

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For more information about Blue Cross’ social impact, click here.