Highmark Inc. and Highmark Foundation makes $307,000 contribution to support critical community organizations during COVID-19 pandemic

Funds target West Virginia food insecurities and health care needs to provide COVID-19 relief

Charleston, W.Va. (April 3, 2020) — Highmark Inc. and the Highmark Foundation today announced $307,000 in grants to organizations focused on helping people in need throughout West Virginia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Our company has a long history of helping communities in times of need, and there’s no greater time than now," said Jim Fawcett, president of Highmark West Virginia. "We are pulling from a variety of grant making streams in order to make an impact to address community-focused pandemic needs."

The $307,000 in funding comes from Highmark’s community giving program, as well as the Highmark Foundation in West Virginia.

Highmark’s funding will focus on organizations addressing food insecurity, and strained health care resources and COVID-19 relief.

To support food insecurity through food banks in the West Virginia, Highmark’s corporate community giving programs have identified the following grants recipients:

• Mountaineer Food Bank
• Facing Hunger Food Bank
• McDowell’s Five Loaves and Two Fishes Food Bank

To support community-based health care organizations focused on strengthening their capacity to serve those who are uninsured and underserved in West Virginia, the Highmark Foundation will support the following:

• Beckley Health Right
• Ebenezer Medical Outreach Center
• Hygeia Facilities Foundation Inc.
• Mercer Charitable Clinic
• Milan Puskar
• Mountaineer Community Health Center
• Rural Health Access Corp. (Coalfield)
• West Virginia Health Right
• Wheeling Health Right

"We will continue to assess community needs as the pandemic evolves, by staying in contact with local, county and state officials in the communities we serve." said Fawcett.