Independence Blue Cross associate with her children at the Message of Hope volunteer event at UPS. Photo courtesy of UPS.
Over 150 volunteers assemble gifts of hope for hospitalized children
In honor of National Volunteer Month, Independence Blue Cross teamed up with UPS to send a Message of Hope to children throughout the region who need it most. More than 150 volunteers — including 75 members of the Blue Crew, Independence’s corporate volunteer program — gathered at the UPS Philadelphia Warehouse over the weekend to assemble 1,500 Hope Bags, which are therapeutic activity kits designed for children undergoing treatment. Volunteers from Widener University, Revzilla, and the Girl Scouts of South Eastern Pennsylvania also participated at the event.
The Message of Hope Foundation was created in 2011 to deliver hope and happiness to hospitalized children with special needs, chronic conditions, or life-threatening illnesses. Hope Bags provide a welcome distraction from the daily challenges these children face.
For more than 15 years, the Blue Crew has played an essential role in the company’s commitment to enhance the health and well-being of the community. In 2017, nearly 1,400 associates and their families donated over 11,000 hours to over 300 community service projects throughout the region.