UnitedHealthcare Awards $5.2 Million in Grants to California Nonprofits – $100,000 to Centro La Familia Advocacy Services in Fresno
Grants support nine California nonprofit organizations to
strengthen youth wellness, care delivery and health technology in
underserved communities
Centro La Familia Advocacy Services, Inc., has been awarded a $100,000
grant from UnitedHealthcare to help support the nonprofit’s
Cross-Culture Health Outreach Resources and Education (CHORE) program,
which provides local families education, training and resources about
health, wellness and preventive care.
Lisa Espinosa (left), Central Valley account executive, UnitedHealthcare of California, presents a $100,000 grant check to Margarita Rocha (right), executive director, Centro La Familia Advocacy Services, Inc., on Thursday, April 11, to help support the nonprofit's Cross-Culture Health Outreach Resources and Education (CHORE) program, which provides local families education, training and resources about health, wellness and preventive care (Photo: Diana Baldrica).
The grant is part of $5.2 million UnitedHealthcare is awarding to nine
health care organizations to support nonprofit clinics and hospitals
that improve health care services for underserved communities statewide.
Founded in 1972, Centro La Familia Advocacy (CLFA) is a nonprofit
organization that provides social services, educational and health and
wellness programs for many ethnic, underserved, low-income families
throughout Fresno County, especially in remote rural areas.
The UnitedHealthcare grant will fund educational forums and discussions
with adults, children and families in the region to help enhance their
knowledge and understanding about local health care resources and
services to support their health and well-being.
In 2008, UnitedHealthcare provided a $100,000 grant to Centro La Familia
to expand its community health outreach program, Promotora, to
include information on the importance of healthy eating and active
lifestyles. The latest grant will help continue and expand that outreach
in the community.
“We are extremely grateful for the grant we received from
UnitedHealthcare,” said Margarita Rocha, executive director, Centro La
Familia Advocacy Services, Inc. “These funds will help us reach more
local residents – especially people living in remote rural areas – to
promote and support discussions on various health topics that are
essential to improving the health and wellness of underserved and
uninsured members of our community.”
The latest grant announcement and check presentation was made at a
reception attended by elected officials, as well as community leaders,
Centro La Familia’s board of directors and UnitedHealthcare executives.
“Centro La Familia provides an important program that helps so many
families in our region better understand a very complicated system of
care and services,” said Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin. “Their
partnership with our neighborhood revitalization efforts has been
critical to the progress we’ve been making. This grant by
UnitedHealthcare will help Centro La Familia continue to provide
important information to families so they can make informed choices
about the services available in the neighborhoods where they live.”
“UnitedHealthcare is grateful for the opportunity to support the health
and wellness of Fresno County residents through our grant to Centro La
Familia,” said Brandon Cuevas, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of California. “The
nonprofit has a proven track record for providing important health and
social services to people who live in the San Joaquin Valley.”
Since 2008, UnitedHealthcare has provided more than $30 million in
grants to 53 nonprofits statewide. Eight of them are in the Central
Valley, receiving $3.3 million.
In addition to these grants, the UnitedHealthcare California Health Care
Investment Program has provided $269 million in total investments to 46
health care organizations throughout the state that provide services to
underserved, low-income and underinsured communities and populations,
including nearly $40 million to seven hospitals and clinics in the San
Joaquin Valley.
UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, serves more
than 2.4 million Californians with a care provider network of 320
hospitals and more than 57,000 physicians statewide.
About Centro La Familia Advocacy Services, Inc.
Centro La Familia is a community based nonprofit organization that has
served low-income families throughout Fresno County for 40 years, to
provide direct advocacy and intervention services to low-income
residents. Centro's mission is to empower low-income people to access
life sustaining resources and become self-sufficient through education,
training and social services. Centro's services are delivered in a
culturally sensitive, confidential manner to enhance the strengths,
values and traditions of the families in English and Spanish.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live
healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting
consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships
with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health
benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid
beneficiaries, and contracts directly with 780,000 physicians and care
professionals and 5,900 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide.
UnitedHealthcare serves more than 40 million people in health benefits
and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a
diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.
Click
here to subscribe to Mobile Alerts for UnitedHealth Group.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20130411006579/en/