UnitedHealthcare has donated $250,000 to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation to support five organizations that are helping with Southeast Louisiana’s long-term, sustainable recovery after the devastating floods of 2016.
The Baton Rouge Area Foundation – in response to the devastation caused by torrential rains that damaged more than 100,000 homes and displaced thousands of families – established the Louisiana Flood Relief Fund to help support the immediate needs of people and businesses affected by the floods and aid in the long-term recovery of Southeast Louisiana.
The foundation will use the grant to support five organizations already working to help people affected by the floods: SBP (formerly St. Bernard Project), Mid City Redevelopment Alliance, the Louisiana First Foundation, Southern University Law Center and Woman’s Hospital Mammography Coach. The grant is part of UnitedHealthcare’s ongoing effort to identify and support organizations in Louisiana that help people live healthier lives.
“We are grateful for the support of UnitedHealthcare, as this grant comes at a critical time in our efforts to get people back into their homes and help re-open businesses,” said John Davies, president and CEO the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. “There is still much work to be done, and these recipient organizations are making a positive impact in our community.”
The $250,000 grant announcement was made in Baton Rouge at the Mid City Redevelopment Alliance, where First Lady Donna Edwards and UnitedHealthcare employees joined community volunteers to help load a truck filled with construction materials to repair damaged storefronts in the area. Attendees at the event also included representatives from each organization receiving a grant, UnitedHealthcare executives and employees, and community volunteers.
“It is wonderful to see the great work that can be achieved when private and public organizations work together,” said Louisiana First Lady Donna Edwards. “I am pleased to be here today with UnitedHealthcare, Baton Rouge Area Foundation and their partners in helping our community rebuild its businesses, its homes and its infrastructure after these devastating floods.”
Mid City Redevelopment Alliance will receive $100,000 to help launch its “Welcome Home” program focused on rebuilding and restoring homes and businesses in the Baton Rouge area through education, and façade- and neighborhood-improvement grants.
SBP will receive $100,000 to assist in rebuilding homes. Through its local hub, SBP trains organizations on how to rebuild homes more effectively and efficiently. SBP provides direct gutting and rebuilding services, technical support, capacity building and best practices to other recovery organizations.
“The grant from UnitedHealthcare will make a direct impact on how quickly business owners can re-open their doors and homeowners can move back into their homes,” said Zack Rosenburg, co-founder and CEO, SBP. “Our goal is to eliminate the unnecessary suffering associated with a prolonged recovery. The best way to do that is to ensure that it is prompt and efficient, but that does not happen without help and people working together to expedite recovery efforts.”
The Louisiana First Foundation will receive $25,000 to continue coordinating resources for state and local governments, private nonprofit groups and Louisiana residents. The Southern University Law Center will receive $15,000 to continue its work with the Disaster Recovery Law Clinic to provide legal help to people suffering in the aftermath of the flooding.
Also, the Woman’s Hospital Mammography Coach will receive $10,000 to support its mobile coach that makes mammography more accessible. The vehicle travels to 15 parishes in Louisiana visiting churches, schools and community centers to provide women with breast-imaging services.
“These organizations are doing tremendous work in helping rebuild our community after these devastating floods and are making a positive impact in the lives of so many people,” said Allison Young, CEO, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Louisiana. “We are grateful for the opportunity to work with these organizations to help build a stronger, more resilient Louisiana.”
UnitedHealthcare serves more than 880,000 Louisianans enrolled in employer-sponsored, individual and Medicare health plans with a network of 164 hospitals and more than 17,000 physicians and other care providers statewide.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.
About the Baton Rouge Area Foundation
The Baton Rouge Area Foundation is among the largest community foundations in the country. We work in two ways to improve the lives of people across South Louisiana. One, we serve philanthropists; helping them pursue the causes they care about. Two, we take on projects for civic good. The Foundation and its fund donors have granted more than $400 million to nonprofits over more than five decades. Our projects include rebuilding inner city neighborhoods, reviving downtown Baton Rouge, improving health care services.
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