Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation has announced that three Jamaica Plain nonprofit organizations were awarded a total of $2,000 from the Foundation’s Community Spirit 9/11 Mini-Grant program. The organizations receiving funds are:

     • Boston Elite Swim Team ($1,000)

     • Match Middle School ($500)

     • The Original Steppers of Boston ($500)

     To commemorate those Harvard Pilgrim members who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, Harvard Pilgrim and the Foundation created the Community Spirit 9/11 Mini-Grant program. This program allows each Harvard Pilgrim employee to award a $500 grant, completely funded by the Foundation, to the local charity of his or her choice each calendar year. Since this community grants program began in 2002, Harvard Pilgrim employees have directed more than $6.8 million to thousands of organizations throughout Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. 

     “Now more than ever, as nonprofits across the region are dealing with the impact of COVID-19, we are committed to supporting their efforts to care for their communities,” said Karen Voci, President of the Harvard Pilgrim Foundation. “We are so fortunate to have generous and engaged employees who help strengthen Harvard Pilgrim and the communities where we all live and work.”

            In 2019, 96% of Harvard Pilgrim employees participated in at least one form of service or giving through volunteering, the Mini-Grants program, or Harvard Pilgrim’s annual Employee Fundraising Campaign.