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Kim Stanton finds purpose in supporting children and families across East Tennessee

Every year, TeamBlue volunteers give back to the organizations and causes that matter most to them. From mentoring to meal packing to community events, TeamBlue makes it easier for employees to connect with opportunities that fit their interests and schedules.

As a way of recognizing our volunteers’ contributions, employees who give at least 20 hours a year are entered into a drawing to be named TeamBlue Winner of the Year. In recognition for their commitment to community service, the BlueCross Foundation makes a donation in the winner’s name to a cause of their choice.

This year, we’re celebrating medical retrieval specialist Kim Stanton as our 2025 TeamBlue Gives Volunteer of the Year. Kim’s passion for community and love for children guide her volunteer work and donation choice. They also give her a feeling of connection while making an impact on young lives.

“It means a lot to me to make a positive impact, especially with kids,” Kim says. “So I try to help with programs that give them the tools to break out of destructive cycles they might be growing up in.”

As a medical retrieval specialist, Kim works with a large network of providers to keep medical records in order, often travelling throughout East Tennessee to meet in person with providers. It’s a job that depends on connections, a topic near and dear to Kim.

Giving her time and opening her heart

Kim’s volunteer work focuses on helping those in her community who are most vulnerable, and that often includes kids. She supports Childhelp in East Tennessee, an organization that supports children experiencing abuse with counselling, family intervention and advocacy.

She also volunteers with Amachi Knoxville, a mentoring program that matches caring adults with youth, often children with an incarcerated parent, to provide consistent, positive relationships.

“I see the difference in the children, how they arrive looking defeated,” Kim explains. “But by the end of the day, when you show them attention and the positive reinforcement they need, they leave with a smile.”

While helping children just starting out in their lives is important to her, Kim also volunteers with families navigating the end of life, sitting with hospice patients and providing much-needed relief for family members holding vigil over their loved ones.

“I’m just there for them if a caregiver needs to step away to take a break, have a shower, or just take a moment to cry or vent,” Kim says. “I took care of a loved one in his final days myself, and I know hard that can be for people.”

Driven to give

A self-described introvert, Kim says she doesn’t volunteer for the recognition. For her, it’s about forming connections and being part of a supportive community. Kim grew up in a small town of 2,000 people in Illinois, where knowing your neighbors was natural.

“Everybody knew everybody. Like we had one grocery store, a gas station, one stoplight,” Kim remembers. “Knoxville is much bigger, and was a little overwhelming at first, but through volunteering I’ve gotten to meet people at hospitals, schools, doctor’s offices, churches — it’s a really diverse community.”

Kim moved to Tennessee to be closer to her children and was thrilled to see a job available at BCBST after serving for two decades at BlueCross of Illinois. But when COVID hit soon after, Kim found the isolation difficult and turned to volunteer outreach as a means to bridge that gap.

“We have a local nursing home a couple miles away,” Kim explains. “So on Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and other holidays I would personally write a card to each resident there. It gave me a way to combat my own isolation and make a difference in someone else’s life.”

Kim also sends cards to young people, from children struggling with life-threatening illness to students celebrating a graduation.

“I lost my daughter when she was 18,” Kim says. “So I have a passion for making a positive impact on kids’ lives and encouraging them.”

She even applies that generous spirit to helping her co-workers.

“If somebody is struggling on production or quality, whatever, I’ll send them a personal message and be like, ‘You can reach out to me anytime that you want,’” Kim explains. “I know what it’s like to be new, so I just make myself available to anyone.”

Sharing the spotlight

As the 2025 TeamBlue Gives Winner, Kim received a $5,000 donation from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation to direct to the nonprofit of her choice. She chose Amachi Knoxville, where she and her family have seen firsthand how consistent mentoring and positive attention can change the course of a child’s life.

On getting started

Kim estimates that she volunteers about 10 hours a month but points out that it doesn’t take that much to make a big difference. If you’re new to volunteering, Kim recommends starting small, like she did with writing cards.

“Just take a look at all the opportunities out there to make a difference,” she encourages. “Ultimately, it’s about happiness — you’re giving happiness, and you’re getting happiness too.”