BATON ROUGE, La. – For the second year in a row, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, Healthy Blue and Entergy Louisiana are sponsoring 200,000 meals for Louisiana families facing food insecurity. Employee volunteers from the three organizations will pack “oh seaux good” red beans and rice meal kits at eight events around the state Jan. 15-18. These volunteer events are an extended recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service on Jan. 15.
“We’re excited to join Healthy Blue and Entergy for our annual tradition of recognizing Dr. King’s legacy of service by preparing healthy meals that will go to families in need,” said Michael Tipton, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation president and head of Community Relations. “Our employees love volunteering together at these events each year – we get to put on fashionable hairnets, crank up the music and support a good cause. Our Team Blue volunteers have packed more than half a million meals in the past five years through the pack parties.”
During the 2023 events, 600 employee volunteers went above and beyond the 200,000 meals goal, packing more than 214,000 meals that food banks and nonprofit organizations addressing hunger were able to distribute throughout the year.
Dr. Christy Valentine Theard, president of Healthy Blue Louisiana, added, “Inspired by Dr. King's unwavering commitment to service, our Healthy Blue associates are proud to be part of these statewide events. We are not just packing meals, but also providing hope and nourishment to thousands of Louisiana families who are facing food insecurity. Our collaborative work is a celebration of unity that echoes Dr. King's message about making a positive impact. Together we are succeeding in uplifting the well-being of our communities and furthering our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians.”
Entergy is teaming up with Blue Cross and Healthy Blue in honor of their recognition as Louisiana businesses included among The Civic 50. This is an annual designation from the Points of Light Foundation of the 50 most community-minded companies in America. Blue Cross has been recognized for the past five years, and Entergy has been recognized for the past eight years. For the past two years, Blue Cross also was recognized as first in the nation for volunteer hours given to local communities.
“We’re always proud to partner with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana and Healthy Blue for this event,” said Phillip May, Entergy Louisiana president and CEO. “We don’t just work in our communities, but we live here too. Our employees look forward to this event every year, and anytime we can do our part to help Louisiana prosper is time well spent.”
Food-Packing Events Schedule
Pack parties will take place in each region of the state between Jan. 15-18. Volunteers will pack a target number of meals at each event, building up to the statewide 200,000 total.
Media are invited to attend the pack parties, film video or take photos, and interview representatives of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, Healthy Blue, Entergy and the participating food bank and nonprofit organizations.
Monday, Jan. 15 – Baton Rouge (75,000 meals)
Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank
10600 South Choctaw Dr. Baton Rouge, LA 70815
10 a.m. – noon
Tuesday, Jan. 16 – New Orleans (40,000 meals)
Second Harvest Food Bank
700 Edwards Ave. New Orleans, LA 70123
10 a.m. – noon
Wednesday, Jan. 17 – Thibodaux (15,000 meals)
Good Samaritan Food Bank - Thibodaux
100 Burch St. Thibodaux, LA 70301
9-11 a.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 17 – Lafayette (10,000 meals)
Second Harvest Food Bank
215 E. Pinhook Road Lafayette, LA 70501
2-4 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 18 – Lake Charles (10,000 meals)
Second Harvest Food Bank
2309 Hwy. 397 Lake Charles, LA 70615
10 a.m. – noon
Thursday, Jan. 18 – Monroe (30,000 meals)
LOCATION CHANGE: Vantage Tower Banquet Room
130 Desiard St. Suite 300, Monroe, LA 71201
1 – 3p.m.
The pack parties in Alexandria and Shreveport have been rescheduled because of severe winter weather:
Friday, Jan. 19 – Alexandria (10,000 meals)
Food Bank of Central Louisiana
3223 Baldwin Ave. Alexandria, LA 71301
10 a.m. – noon
Friday, Jan. 19 – Shreveport (10,000 meals)
Council on Aging
706 Bearkat Dr. Bossier City, LA 71111
10 a.m. – noon
Follow Blue Cross on social media @BCBSLA to see live photos and posts from the pack parties and updates on progress toward 200,000 meals. Blue Cross posts regularly on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. We have been recognized for the past five years as an honoree of The Civic 50, named by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. We invite all Louisianians to visit our website at www.bcbsla.com or talk to us on social media @BCBSLA.
About Healthy Blue
Healthy Blue is a managed healthcare provider that has been serving the state since 2012, and currently serves the state’s Medicaid, Medicaid Expansion and LaCHIP programs. Healthy Blue, a joint venture between Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana and Anthem Partnership Holding Company, LLC (parent company, Anthem, Inc.), recognizes the challenges low-income and underserved individuals face, and tailors its programs such that health plan members are assured care that is not only accessible, but also accountable, comprehensive, integrated and patient-centered. Healthy Blue provides ongoing community relations and outreach to encourage members to become active participants in their healthcare. Also, through health education programs, members are empowered to choose and sustain healthy lifestyles. To learn more about Healthy Blue, visit www.myhealthybluela.com and follow the company on Facebook and Twitter @HealthyBlueLA and LinkedIn @healthy-blue-louisiana.
About Entergy Louisiana
Entergy Louisiana, LLC provides electric service to more than 1 million customers in 58 parishes and natural gas service to more than 94,000 customers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Entergy Louisiana is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR), an integrated energy company engaged in electric power production, transmission and retail distribution operations. Entergy delivers electricity to 3 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy owns and operates one of the cleanest large-scale U.S. power generating fleets with approximately 24,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 5,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, Entergy has annual revenues of $10 billion and approximately 12,000 employees.
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