Funds will help 1,250 veterans in New Hampshire and Maine access emergency assistance and benefits
MANCHESTER, N.H. — The Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation has awarded a grant of $100,000 to Easterseals to support care coordination and emergency assistance to 1,250 veterans in New Hampshire and Maine as part of Anthem’s ongoing commitment to supporting the brave men and women who sacrificed so much for our nation. Easterseals’ Military & Veteran Services program provides critical case management to service members, veterans, and military families in order to respond quickly to urgent needs, and build person-centered plans that address longer-range issues. Care coordinators help individuals find jobs, access benefits, stabilize their housing, seek treatment for mental health issues or substance use disorder, and obtain other supports and referrals as needed.
“We are extremely thankful for the generous support from the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation and for their partnership in joining us in the important work of giving our service members and their families a hand up through challenging times,” said Easterseals President & CEO Larry Gammon. “Support from the community is critical to help ensure our veterans do not have to struggle after sacrificing so much for our country and the Anthem Foundation sets a high bar for generosity. This grant will make a tremendous impact for military families across New Hampshire and Maine.”
“These veterans have answered the call to serve our country, and we must serve them by taking care of them when they return home,” said Lisa Guertin, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire. “Coordinating care, housing, and employment assistance – all factors that can have an impact on one’s health – will ultimately improve these veterans’ physical and mental well-being. We’re very proud that our Foundation’s support for Easterseals will help more than 1,000 veterans and their families in New Hampshire and Maine access the individualized care and services they need.”
Easterseals Care Coordinators meet program participants in a location of their choosing – including in-home meetings – to develop an individualized care plan and establish goals. Care coordinators also teach participants how to access services/benefits to support their well-being and independence in the future. Easterseals has served more than 13,000 individuals through its Military & Veterans Services program since its inception.
“Easterseals Military & Veterans Services has been an extraordinary source of support for my husband and me during both of his deployments,” states Grisel DaCorte Suarez. Both she and her husband received care coordination services around his deployments. “I don’t think we would have been able to successfully navigate support systems without the help of the amazing staff that rallied round us. Veterans Count and the Care Coordination program are truly a blessing for service members and their families!”
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has long been a supporter of Easterseals’ Military & Veterans Services program, services for individuals with disabilities and special needs, and substance use disorder treatment programs through the Farnum Center.
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About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation
Through charitable grant making, the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation LLC, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, promotes Anthem’s inherent commitment to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and families in communities that Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield serves. The Foundation focuses its funding on strategic initiatives that address and provide innovative solutions to health care challenges, as well as promoting the Healthy Generations Program, a multi-generational initiative that targets specific disease states and medical conditions. These include: prenatal care in the first trimester, low birth weight babies, cardiac morbidity rates, long-term activities that decrease obesity and increase physical activity, diabetes prevalence in adult populations, adult pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations and smoking cessation. The Foundation also coordinates the company’s year-round Associate Giving program and its parent foundation provides a 50 percent match of associates’ pledges. ®ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
About Easterseals
For more than 82 years, Easterseals NH has provided exceptional services to ensure we change the way the world defines and views disability by making profound, positive differences in people’s lives every day. Our 12 core programs and services include Child Development Centers and Family Resource Center, Early Supports and Services, Autism Services, Residential & Educational Services, Special Transit Services, Camps and Recreation, Community Based Services, Workforce Development, Military & Veterans Services, Senior Services, Substance Abuse Treatment, and Oral Health Services. As a leader in social services for individuals with disabilities and special needs, Easterseals NH employs more than 1,400 individuals who serve nearly 28,000 children and adults. To learn more about Easterseals NH, visit www.easterseals.com/nh.