Every year, our TeamBlue employee volunteers spend thousands of hours serving organizations that mean the most to them.
In 2024, our employees spent over 16,000 hours volunteering with more than 400 organizations across the state of Tennessee.
“It’s rewarding to see how much our TeamBlue volunteers enjoy giving back to their communities,” says Rachel Lesler, BlueCross community relations specialist. “They make a real difference, and the fact that they regularly take time out of their schedules to help others is inspiring.”
Claire Brulatour, her counterpart in Memphis, adds, “Whether they’re serving organizations locally or writing cards of encouragement to send to other corners of the state, our volunteers continually make a positive impact on the lives of our neighbors and the members we serve.”
BlueCross offers both in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities, providing employees with a number of ways to give back. Take a look at the organizations our TeamBlue volunteers supported in 2024.
Statewide
Over the last few years, virtual card campaigns have become one of the most popular volunteer opportunities among our employees. These opportunities allow employees to give back when it works with their schedule—and to get their friends, families and children in on the fun. Volunteers hand make or purchase cards to be sent to organizations around Tennessee. Whether they’re spreading cheer to senior citizens or congratulating graduating students, the cards put a smile on the faces of everyone involved.
This year, our employees wrote more than 1,000 support cards for different organizations statewide, including Make-A-Wish, the Regional Interfaith Association (RIFA), Best Buddies and Youth Villages.
Chattanooga
Our TeamBlue volunteers have supported a variety of causes in the Chattanooga area over the last year. They’ve helped the Chattanooga Area Food Bank in multiple ways, including labeling and sorting canned goods and working at mobile pantries to help distribute food.
In November, 101 of our volunteers came together at our Cameron Hill campus to support Sleep in Heavenly Peace, an organization that provides beds for children in need across Tennessee. Donating more than 300 hours of time, volunteers helped assemble 99 beds for distribution.
Our Strategic Communications division also supported the (Be)Kind Initiative, a partnership between Be The Change and local coffee shop (Be)Caffeinated that promotes mental health awareness for area students. Volunteers decorated coffee collars with words of encouragement to be distributed with orders at (Be)Caffeinated’s locations throughout the city.
Nashville
Our Population Health Management team spent a fall day serving at the annual pumpkin patch hosted by the Cooper Trooper Foundation. This organization promotes the fight against childhood cancer through sibling support and research funding. The pumpkin patch is the foundation’s largest fundraising event of the year, and employees helped with pricing pumpkins, answering questions and completing sales.
Medical Home Partnership care coordinators came together to serve Shower the People, which provides free shower and laundry services to residents in need in the Nashville area. Our volunteers spent a day creating care kits for those who receive support from this organization.
Memphis
Our Senior Care Division supported Nutrition on Wheels, a program from the Mid-South Food Bank that distributes meals to low-income individuals, clinics and senior care facilities around Memphis.
Throughout the year, Memphis-area volunteers also supported the Regional Inter-Faith Association (RIFA). BlueCross employees established a card-writing program for the organization, sending greetings and words of encouragement to senior citizens who rely on RIFA for food assistance. Employees created cards that were included in Senior Staples Boxes, which are distributed to residents in need weekly.
Knoxville
In 2024, Knoxville-area volunteers donated their time to a variety of causes. They participated in community clean-up events with Keep Knoxville Beautiful, supported the United Way of Greater Knoxville’s Week of Caring and assisted the Salvation Army’s Knoxville Area Command with Angel Tree distribution during the holidays.
As part of the annual BlueCross food drive, our Knoxville TeamBlue volunteers supported Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee by sorting food, packing bags and labeling goods.
The benefits of giving back
For many of our employees, helping their neighbors is the biggest benefit of volunteering, but it also allows them to connect with one another.
“I have so much fun every time I volunteer with TeamBlue,” says volunteer Murphy Sauceman. “It’s so fun to get out in the community and spend time with people I work with.”
Our volunteers enjoyed spending time together and made a real difference in the lives of their neighbors across Tennessee in 2024. We’re proud of their contributions, and there’s more in store for 2025!
Marie is a senior Public Relations and Advertising major at Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn. She joined the BlueCross corporate communications team as an intern in July 2024.