ALBUQUERQUE — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico (BCBSNM) awarded more than $750,000 in grants to 36 statewide nonprofits through its Blue Impact℠ grant program. These grants address social determinants of health (SDOH) that impact the well-being of the communities BCBSNM serves.
“Social and economic factors have a profound impact on achieving and maintaining good health,” said Janice Torrez, BCBSNM president. “Through our Blue Impact initiative, we’re working with organizations across the state to provide New Mexicans with greater access to the essential resources and support they need to live healthier lives.”
The grants focus on the following areas of SDOH:
- Economic Opportunity and Stability
- Nutrition
- Neighborhood and Local Assets
- Locally Defined Health Solutions
- Optimal Health Outcomes
Through a competitive application process, the Blue Impact grant program evaluates applications from 501(c)(3) organizations every year based on impact, feasibility, capacity, collaboration and sustainability. The grants were awarded to programs taking place from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.
The 2023-2024 Blue Impact grants include funding for the following programs:
Northern New Mexico
- American Heart Association: Addressing the escalation of hypertension and food and nutrition insecurity in under resourced communities.
- Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico: Providing nutritious food to alleviate consequences of food insecurity for people living in Eastern New Mexico.
- Many Mothers: Providing infants and caregivers with in-home services and wraparound care to create healthier outcomes.
- Mesa to Mesa: Providing home repairs to improve the health, safety and security of low-income homeowners in New Mexico.
- The Community Pantry: Providing food to children in need every weekend during the school year.
- The Food Depot: Ending hunger in Northern New Mexico by acquiring and distributing food to people experiencing food insecurity.
- Zuni Youth Enrichment Project: Improving trail access, safety and performance to increase community wide usage for better health outcomes for Zuni residents.
Central New Mexico
- ABQ Faithworks Collaborative: Providing rental assistance, utility assistance and scheduled food distribution to families experiencing food and housing instability.
- Albuquerque Adult Learning Center: Creating economic opportunity and stability in the International District by offering literacy, high school equivalency, English as a Second Language and career pathway services to adults 16 years or older.
- Albuquerque Oasis: Helping older adults maintain foot health by providing foot and toenail care clinics in Albuquerque.
- American Cancer Society: Increasing access to care by providing transportation and lodging to patients undergoing cancer-related medical treatment.
- Fraction Farms: Supporting, growing and donating healthy, organic produce to charities that serve community members in need.
- HopeWorks: Assisting people who are experiencing homelessness or near-homelessness by providing nutritious food, housing support and mental and behavioral health case management.
- La Plaza de Encuentro: Supporting low-income Latina immigrants in building skills to generate income in the home health industry as small business owners, independent contractors, community health educators and members of a worker-led cooperative.
- New Mexico Kids Matter: Providing advocacy and support services to youth who age out of foster care to prepare them for safe, healthy and productive independent living situations.
- Rebuilding Together Sandoval County: Providing essential home repairs to help low-income families stay in their homes.
- Rio Grande Community Development Project: Providing equitable access to nutritious school lunches for low-income, majority Hispanic students at Robert F. Kennedy Charter school while also creating economic opportunities for low-income New Mexican farmers and business owners.
- Rio Grande Food Project: Alleviating hunger and cultivating long-term food security in Albuquerque.
- Saranam: Supporting housing and education services for families experiencing homelessness.
- St. Felix Pantry: Providing nutritious food, hygiene items and other resources to elderly adults in need.
- Susan’s Legacy: Providing intensive case management to women with co-occurring mental health and addiction disorders to address basic needs such as hunger, homelessness, lack of income and physical illness.
- TenderLove Community Center: Empowering homeless, near homeless and low-income individuals to achieve stable, self-supporting lives for themselves and their families through vocational training and emergency and transitional housing.
- United Way of North Central New Mexico: Advancing family stability and increasing educational opportunity for individuals in North Central New Mexico through partnerships with business, government, nonprofits and the community.
Southern New Mexico
- Casa de Peregrinos: Providing a basket of healthy nutritious food to low-income families to help fight food insecurity and address hunger in Doña Ana County.
- Jardin de los Niños: Providing high-quality, comprehensive childcare and therapeutic early intervention services to children ages six weeks to three years experiencing homelessness or near homelessness.
- New Mexico State University Foundation (Fit Families): Helping New Mexico children at risk of becoming obese, and their families, to eat healthier, be active and feel more positive.
- Roswell Wings for Life: Providing a weekly social and emotional after-school learning program at 13 elementary schools in Chaves County to promote academic success and reduce engagement in risky behaviors.
Statewide
- All Faiths: Providing case management to families affected by trauma.
- American Cancer Society: Educating New Mexicans about the importance of cancer-related screenings through comprehensive state and regional awareness messaging and educational materials.
- American Lung Association: Providing free lung screenings for detection of various lung diseases and lung education statewide.
- Casa Esperanza: Providing lodging, food, transportation, counseling and support to medically underserved families traveling to Albuquerque for medical treatment.
- New Mexico CASA Association: Providing volunteer advocacy for abused and neglected children in foster care throughout New Mexico.
- New Mexico Foundation for Dental Health Research and Education: Increasing oral health literacy in New Mexico while offering direct access to free oral care and dental treatments.
- New Mexico Ramp Project: Providing no-cost ramps to low-income New Mexicans with mobility issues.
- Pegasus Legal Services for Children: Offering free, bilingual civil legal services to children, youth and their caregivers, including information and advice, direct representation, community legal action and systemic advocacy.
- Special Olympics New Mexico: Empowering children and adults with intellectual disabilities to be their healthiest through sports training and competition, health screenings, physical fitness challenges, health education and unified sports in school grades K-12.
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About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico is one of the largest commercial health insurers in New Mexico with more than 700,000 New Mexicans carrying a Blue Cross and Blue Shield card. Since 1940, BCBSNM has been committed to promoting the health and wellness of its members and communities through accessible, cost-effective, quality health care. BCBSNM is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation, the country’s largest customer-owned health insurer. Health Care Service Corporation is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.