Students at Waterbury’s Woodrow Wilson Elementary School will receive
something extra in their backpacks besides books and school supplies
this year. As part of a two-year program implemented by Blessings
in a Backpack, a national child hunger relief non-profit, all
Woodrow Wilson students will receive nutritious food each weekend
throughout the entire school year. To celebrate the program, sponsored
by Cigna (NYSE: CI) and supported by a grant from the Cigna Foundation,
the students will get their backpacks during a kickoff event tomorrow at
8:45 a.m.
Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary will open the program with a message to the
students. Representatives from the school, Cigna and Blessings will also
attend.
Mayor O’Leary complimented Cigna for its commitment to the program,
which will have a profound effect on the lives of the students at
Woodrow Wilson Elementary.
“On behalf of the city of Waterbury, we are very grateful for the
Blessings in a Backpack program, which is an added benefit of the city’s
new and proud affiliation with Cigna,” said O’Leary.
Additionally, Cigna's
Mobile Learning Lab, an interactive health awareness exhibit on
wheels, will be onsite at the school to demonstrate the importance of
practicing lifestyle choices that can improve overall health, such as
portion control and good nutrition. Students will also receive
information about good hygiene and other healthy habits.
“Cigna, Blessings and educators at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School
recognized a tremendous opportunity to help needy children,” said Brooke
Wiseman, Chief Executive Officer for Blessings in a Backpack. “We look
forward to implementing this program and growing it throughout the
region to help combat childhood hunger.”
“We are thrilled to join Blessings in a Backpack and provide students
with the resources they need to be successful, which includes having
access to healthy, well-balanced meals,” said Don Curry, president and
general manager of Cigna in New England. “Our mission is to help people
improve their health, well-being and sense of security, and child
wellness and nutrition are a key part of that mission.”
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 16.2
million American children struggle with hunger each year. Blessings in a
Backpack is a results-oriented program designed to feed elementary
school children whose families qualify for the federally funded National
School Lunch Program and have little or no access to healthy food on the
weekends. The program is supported nationally and locally by Cigna, a
global health service company. Cigna has donated health and wellness
materials to the schools, as well as staff resources to help distribute
backpacks to students. Funding for the food-filled backpacks was
provided by the Cigna Foundation, which has made grants totaling $70,000
to help Blessings expand the program to schools in several locations
nationwide.
Child wellness is a key focus of Cigna’s corporate responsibility
platform, Cigna Connects, through which the company brings
together resources, experts and stakeholders to create lasting
improvements in senior care, child wellness, health equity and health
literacy.
“At Cigna, we have a responsibility to ensure individuals are given the
tools necessary to lead healthier lives, and one of the ways we do this
is by aligning with organizations that share the same commitment to
improving health and wellness,” said Rich Stephens, Cigna's vice
president of business development, who serves on the Blessings in a
Backpack board of directors and will be one of several Cigna team
members distributing backpacks to the students during tomorrow’s event.
As part of its support for the program, Cigna will also provide fall
treat bags filled with healthy snacks and words of encouragement for the
Woodrow Wilson Elementary School students. The bags will be assembled by
Cigna executives from across the country during a special event at the
company’s Bloomfield, Conn., headquarters on Tuesday, October 29. Cigna
will deliver the bags to the students on Wednesday, October 30.
About Blessings in a Backpack
Blessings in a Backpack, People Magazines Charity of 2012, is a
results-oriented program that is designed to feed elementary school
children whose families qualify for the federally funded National School
Lunch Program and have little or no food on the weekends. Better test
scores, improved reading skills, positive behavior, improved health and
increased attendance have all been attributed to the success of this
program. As little as $80 feeds one American school child in our program
for an entire 38-week school year. Blessings in a Backpack is currently
feeding over 60,000 children across 43 U.S. states. (see all at blessingsinabackpack.org/programlocations).
We are Feeding the Future of America® – one school at a time.
About the Cigna Foundation
The Cigna Foundation is a private foundation funded by contributions
from Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) and its subsidiaries. The Cigna
Foundation supports organizations sharing its commitment to enhancing
the health of individuals and families, and the well-being of their
communities, with a special focus on those communities where Cigna
employees live and work.
About Cigna
Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company
dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense
of security. All products and services are provided exclusively by or
through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including
Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Cigna Health and Life
Insurance Company, Life Insurance Company of North America and Cigna
Life Insurance Company of New York. Such products and services include
an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental,
behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other
related products including group life, accident and disability
insurance. Cigna maintains sales capability in 30 countries and
jurisdictions, and has approximately 80 million customer relationships
throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to
follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.
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