Health Through Food
RAMS Kitchen + CFLC
Celebrating a quarter-century of bringing to life healthier, stronger communities.
Dear North Carolinians,
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation – an important milestone that arrives at a moment of opportunity and responsibility. As I step into my new role as President of the Blue Cross NC Foundation, I enter with respect for the incredible legacy built over the past quarter-century and an acknowledgment of the challenges facing many of our communities.
For a quarter-century, the Foundation has had the privilege of working alongside more than 1,700 nonprofits, clinics, and community leaders in every county in North Carolina. All of us are united by a simple but powerful vision: every North Carolinian deserves the opportunity to be healthy.
Even as the world shifts around us, our focus remains steadfast. Families, nonprofits, and health care providers are navigating rising costs and increasing complexity. And yet, across the state, I see creativity, determination, and resilience from community leaders who refuse to relent on our shared vision to improve health for all. It’s with - and because of - them that we mark this anniversary not only as a celebration of our shared impact, but as a moment to recommit, with urgency, to the critical work ahead.
Making Strides, Together
For the past 25 years, we’ve been guided by the belief that when solutions are led by nonprofit partners who are rooted in community, they are able to make the greatest impact.
With the support of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, we undertook an ambitious effort to visit all 100 counties with one goal: to listen to those closest to our state’s communities. What we heard helped shape our focus and deepen our commitment to the health care challenges that most directly affect people’s lives and the long‑term health of North Carolina.
These insights have shaped our new direction as we look to support the mental health and well‑being of the state’s youth, strengthen the connection between health and food, and improve access to care in rural and underserved areas.
By partnering with community experts to address the state's most pressing health challenges, we're not just making lives better – we're improving how our entire health care system works. When healthy food is readily available, we can prevent diet-related chronic conditions down the line. When mental health services are in place for our youth, we can get in front of crises. And when people living in rural areas can see a primary care doctor, we can help avoid expensive emergency care.
From the mountains to the coast, these priorities reflect what our nonprofit partners are seeing every day. By staying focused where need is greatest, we can drive real change that improves health outcomes for everyone in our state.
A Commitment Forward
This milestone isn't just about looking back at 25 years of progress. It’s a moment to reflect on what we’ve learned along the way, and emphasize how urgently the state needs community-led solutions. The stories we’ll share this year will highlight these solutions at work: the clinics extending health services to those who need it most, youth advocates breaking down mental health barriers, and local leaders connecting farms to community health. It's our launching point for the work ahead, with a renewed commitment to listening to our communities and working in partnership to deepen our impact.
Thank you to the local leaders, communities, and partners who have shaped this Foundation and will shape our future. Together, we will keep showing up for the state and work to make North Carolina one of the healthiest states in a generation.
Here’s to building a healthier North Carolina, together.
Sincerely,
Colleen Briggs
President, Blue Cross NC Foundation
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