United Way of Central New Mexico’s (UWCNM) Mission: Families received a $50,000 grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico (BCBSNM) through its Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® (HKHF) initiative. UWCNM’s Mission: Families is committed to assuring families can access the wraparound support and services they need not only to survive but to thrive. This commitment aligns with the vision of BCBSNM’s HKHF grant program to help improve the health of children and their families in local communities.
COVID-19 forced UWCNM’s Mission: Families to immediately pivot support and work within the communities of central New Mexico with partnering organizations to support families. By using what has worked well during the pandemic, UWCNM’s Mission: Families is committed to using all the resources available to support our communities.
“The families and kids in central New Mexico need support to move from surviving to thriving, and Mission: Families is ecstatic to have a grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico to support our work,” said Sondra Slivon, senior director of Community Impact for Mission: Families. “These funds will be used in three ways to support families and children: to improve our 211 information and referral resource database so we can better serve community members in accessing the supports they need; to provide training to early childhood and out-of-school time providers across central New Mexico to better equip them to meet children and families where they are, especially those who may have or are experiencing trauma; and to offer direct support to families who need it.”
“Our collaboration with United Way of Central New Mexico and Mission: Families has made a far-reaching impact on the health and wellness of children in central New Mexico,” said Janice Torrez, BCBSNM president. “The Mission: Families program is creating measurable change by providing access to resources for families, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its commitment to helping families’ health, wellness and overall quality of life is crucial to promoting the healthy development of children.”
Healthy Kids, Healthy Families is a signature program of BCBSNM. The initiative focuses on engaging children and their families in understanding the importance of nutritious food, raising the level of physical activity, better managing chronic conditions and promoting safe environments. Likewise, Mission: Families within United Way of Central New Mexico works to support families with accessible wraparound supports and services they need.