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Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Initiative Aims to Catalyze Creative Health Improvement Projects

22 organizations across the state will implement community-driven and culturally specific efforts that advance health equity, funded by the Center for Prevention.

EAGAN, MINN. (Feb 3, 2020)

The Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) has awarded $522,000 in funding to 22 culturally and geographically diverse organizations as part of the Catalyst Funding Initiative. Catalyst Funding is designed to support the implementation of creative solutions to health inequities and jump-start community wellness initiatives.

Catalyst Funding was established in 2019 to ignite innovation and advance health equity across Minnesota. This funding supports community-driven, culturally specific efforts that lead to sustainable health changes related to the Center for Prevention’s core issue areas:  increasing access to physical activity, increasing access to healthy eating, and decreasing commercial tobacco use.

“A healthier future for Minnesota starts with addressing barriers to health – especially for communities most impacted by health inequities. At the Center for Prevention, we believe that communities hold the solutions to the challenges they face” said Carolyn Link, Sr. Director of Community Health Partnerships and President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of MN Foundation. “We are excited to support a second round of Catalyst Funding and invest in community identified solutions to health inequities.”

The following 22 organizations have been awarded Catalyst funding:

• American Indian Family Center
• City of Bloomington
• Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio
• Department of Public Transformation
• East Side Table
• Family Pathways
• Friends of the Mississippi
• Frogtown Farm
• Hispanic Advocacy and Community Empowerment through Research
• HOPE
• Metro Blooms
• Minnesota Community Health Worker Alliance
• Nokomis East Neighborhood Association
• North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems
• OutFront
• PartnerSHIP4Health
• People Responding in Social Ministry
• Project Food Forrest
• Southern Minnesota Independent Living Enterprises & Services
• Success Academy
• Twin Cities Street Soccer
• West Side Community Organization

About the Center for Prevention

The Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota delivers on Blue Cross’ long-term commitment to improve the health of all Minnesotans by tackling the leading root causes of preventable disease: tobacco use, lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating. Funded through proceeds from Blue Cross’ historic lawsuit against the tobacco industry, we collaborate with organizations statewide to increase health equity, transform communities and create a healthier state. Visit www.centerforpreventionmn.com  for more information.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (bluecrossmn.com), with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota’s first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today as a health company: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. Blue Cross is a not-for-profit, taxable organization. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago.

Contact:
Sasha Houston Brown
651-662-3174