How Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Lives United
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and its employees Live United through a strong profile of giving and involvement with a variety of community programs. Harvard Pilgrim employees are encouraged to get involved with supporting their community both financially and through volunteering. Harvard Pilgrim employees donate nearly $100,000 annually to United Way, Boston Health Care for Homeless Program, and Camp Sunshine through their employee fundraising campaign. Harvard Pilgrim supports employee giving by giving employees paid time off for their own volunteer activities as well as offering up to $500 for a non-profit of the employee’s choice.
Additionally, the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation organizes company-wide service activities. Most recently, 100 employees partnered with the Boston Celtics and City Year for the first annual Let’s Get Moving day of service at the William H. Ohrenberger Elementary School in West Roxbury, promoting health and fitness by painting a healthy message mural and building an outdoor classroom and kickball field. Harvard Pilgrim has also been one of the largest contributor of backpacks to Cradles to Crayons, they collected sporting equipment for Good Sports, and support a variety of charitable events such as the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women luncheons and Boston Symphony Orchestra's Annual Presidents at Pops fundraiser.
Charitable giving is an essential part of the Foundation's work. A great example of the Foundation's investment in the community is its Growing Up Healthy program, a five-year, $5 million commitment to support healthy weight for children across Harvard Pilgrim's service area. The initiative is focused on long-term cultural, behavioral, and environmental changes in communities that encourage children and families to make healthier food choices and exercise more. Harvard Pilgrim also supports United Way’s work directly through a workplace giving campaign and participation in the annual Healthcare Leadership Breakfast.
Harvard Pilgrim’s Institute, formerly called the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention (DACP), focuses on teaching and research. The Institute tackles both the causes and consequences of the current epidemic of obesity. Investigators study how prenatal, childhood, and adult experiences interact to contribute to obesity throughout a life span and create targeted interventions to promote healthy behaviors. One such intervention is the High Five Program for Kids, aimed at preventing obesity in young children.
