As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact New Mexicans throughout the state, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico (BCBSNM) employees are finding ways to show their support and provide tokens of comfort to health care providers, first responders, and community members in need.
Recently, BCBSNM delivered dozens of cookies along with notes of encouragement and appreciation to the Raymond G. Murphy Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the New Mexico State Police in Albuquerque. And nursing staff at University of New Mexico Hospital received 24 comfort kits, including lip balms, games, bandages and other items.
For adults and children at Saranam, a nonprofit organization in Albuquerque that operates a housing program for families experiencing homelessness, BCBSNM provided comfort kits to support mental health, stress management and other needs. Twelve comfort kits for adults and 25 comfort kits for children included items such as drawstring bags, stress toys, tissue and coloring books.
“We provide our families with a safe apartment to live in and the tech resources to finish out their online classes, both adults and kids, but our families have really appreciated the extra thoughtful gifts of activities and self-care items that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico gave them,” said Tracy Weaver, executive director of Saranam. “Your caring gifts show our families they are not alone, even in quarantine. Community support is key at Saranam, and we are proud to partner with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico in our community.”
BCBSNM employees and their friends and families also wrote notes of encouragement for more than 30 residents and 40 staff members at the Clayton Nursing and Rehabilitation in Clayton and 149 residents at MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care of Albuquerque and Albuquerque Grand Senior Living.
While schools are closed due to COVID-19, BCBSNM donated 300 totes to support students at Albuquerque’s Los Padillas Elementary School, which filled the totes with take-home learning materials for students.
Learn more about other ways BCBSNM and its employees are responding to community needs during the COVID-19 outbreak: