This holiday season, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska (BCBSNE) employees spread cheer while making a difference in the Omaha community by volunteering with The Salvation Army of Omaha.

Each year, The Salvation Army serves more than 25 million people across America, including many in the Omaha community. This means 55+ million meals for the hungry, 10+ million nights of shelter for the homeless and countless Christmas gifts for children who may otherwise go without.

To help reach this accomplishment, Salvation Army holds two annual holiday campaigns: Red Kettle and Adopt-a-Family. Here’s how BCBSNE employees got involved this season.

Adopt-a-Family

Adopt-A-Family helps alleviate the financial and emotional stress of the holiday season while spreading joy and cheer.

Multiple departments at BCBSNE “adopted” families and seniors in the Omaha community. Throughout the month of December, employees became part-time elves and shopped for their assigned adoptees.

“The Stat Pack (Actuarial, Underwriting and Data Services departments) looks forward to adopting a family each year to spread Christmas cheer and make an impact in the communities we serve,” said BCBSNE Agile Project Manager Kenzie Pavlik. “The past couple of years, we shifted our Adopt-a-Family approach to include more hands-on, individual shopping and gift wrapping to adhere to pandemic guidelines while making the holiday season extra special for a family in need.”

Departments are already starting to plan and raise money to make next Christmas an even better one.

Red Kettle Campaign

BCBSNE employees also participated in the Red Kettle Campaign. This bell-ringing campaign raises funds to support local homeless shelters, children’s programs, disaster relief efforts and more year-round. Every ring makes a difference.

By braving the cold and ringing with Salvation Army, BCBSNE employees made a difference in the lives of their neighbors. A total of 17 employees rang at seven different locations. The funds raised through Red Kettle stay local, and all donations directly impact those in the greater Omaha community.

For more articles like this, visit Community Engagement.