BLOOMFIELD, Conn., Jan. 8, 2025
/PRNewswire/ -- The Cigna Group Foundation announced today 22
recipients for the first year of its new grant program that aims to
improve veteran mental health with a focus on housing stability.
Through this initiative, The Cigna Group Foundation, the
philanthropic arm of The Cigna Group (NYSE: CI), is allocating
$9 million over the next three years
as part of its continuing focus on veteran well-being.
"After serving and defending our country, many of our nation's
veterans struggle with long-term health conditions, including brain
injuries, depression, and substance use disorders, all of which
impact their ability to secure stable housing. By addressing
shelter, we can put veterans on a better path for their mental
health," said Melissa Skottegaard,
board chair of The Cigna Group Foundation. "We are grateful to have
received interest from all over the country about our program, and
we are thrilled to announce these 22 grantees that are making a
positive difference every day in their communities."
The grant program aims to help veterans who are facing an
elevated risk of homelessness relative to the general
population. The Cigna Group Foundation partners with nonprofit
organizations that leverage evidence-informed programs and services
to help local veterans – including underserved populations like
women and veterans of color – feel stable where they live and
ultimately create positive impact on their mental health. Several
of these organizations will leverage the Housing First model, which
successfully reduced time to housing placement from 235 to 35 days,
significantly lowered emergency room use, and increased housing
retention rates when compared to other programs that prioritize
treatment.
The 22 recipients include: U.S.Vets – Arizona (Arizona), Community Renewal Team, Inc.
(Connecticut), Grand Avenue
Economic Community Development Corp. (Florida), The Homeless Coalition of
Palm Beach County (Florida), Treasure Coast Homeless Services
Council (Florida), City of Refuge,
Inc. (Georgia), Midwest Shelter
for Homeless Veterans (Illinois),
The University of Chicago (Illinois), Veterans Community Project
(Missouri), Family Promise of
Sussex County (New Jersey), Robin's Home, Inc. (Pennsylvania), Veterans Leadership Program
(Pennsylvania), Veterans Place of
Washinton Boulevard (Pennsylvania), Operation Stand Down Tennessee
(Tennessee), Tennessee Homeless
Solutions (Tennessee), Opportunity
Center for the Homeless (Texas),
St. Vincent's House (Texas),
U.S.Vets – Texas (Texas), Back On My Feet (Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas), Homes For Our Troops (Florida, Georgia, New
Jersey, Texas, Tennessee, Arizona), Operation Finally Home (Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas), and Veterans Rebuilding Life
(Connecticut, New Jersey).
Permanent Housing, Mental Health Support Will Be Primary
Objectives in Key Markets
The organizations selected for grant funding will focus their
efforts on three target areas to address housing stability among
veteran populations, including:
- Mobilizing rapid re-housing assistance and reducing
evictions: Organizations will use the Housing First model
– an approach that does not limit length of stay before stabilizing
– to improve health, reduce harmful behaviors, and increase
income.
- Acting as a navigator for complex
processes: Organizations will utilize targeted case
management and outreach to connect veterans to financial assistance
programs from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and
the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, as well as connect them to
health and mental health support.
- Increasing pathways to permanent
housing: Organizations will achieve this by offering
veterans wraparound services, including mortgage and rental
assistance, employment re-entry training and the development
and building of housing geared for veterans.
The Cigna Group Foundation prioritized grants in regions where
The Cigna Group serves a significant number of customers with high
and very high social determinant of health risks, as well as where
it has a concentration of employees. This includes Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Tennessee, and Texas.
Additional Wraparound Support
In 2024, The Cigna Group Foundation awarded Habitat for Humanity
International a $250,000 grant
to support increased homeownership opportunities to veterans
through an expansion of its HUD-VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive
Housing) initiative. This program links HUD rental assistance
vouchers with continued case management for veterans who have faced
homelessness.
Employee volunteerism also plays a key role in The Cigna Group's
efforts to support veterans' mental health. This fall, The Cigna
Group employees from across the country volunteered over 400 hours
to support housing projects for local veterans in eight states. By
partnering with community organizations like Veterans Community
Project, Operation Finally Home, and Veterans Villages, employees
tackled a wide range of hands-on projects, including home
construction, landscaping, repair, and painting. Employees have
also been able to take advantage of a virtual, on-demand training
to give them tools and knowledge in the battle against veteran
suicide.
About The Cigna Group
The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) is a global health company committed
to creating a better future built on the vitality of every
individual and every community. We relentlessly challenge ourselves
to partner and innovate solutions for better health. The Cigna
Group includes products and services marketed under Cigna
Healthcare, Evernorth Health Services or its subsidiaries. The
Cigna Group maintains sales capabilities in more than 30 countries
and jurisdictions and has more than 183 million customer
relationships around the world. Learn more at
thecignagroup.com.
About The Cigna Group Foundation
The Cigna Group Foundation is a private foundation funded by
contributions from The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) and its subsidiaries.
The Cigna Group Foundation aims to support, collaborate, and
convene with nonprofit organizations addressing society's greatest
health challenges. In addition to increasing access to programs and
care in geographies demonstrating significant need, the Foundation
responds with humanitarian aid relief during critical times and
strengthens colleagues' support of causes through matching
donations and volunteer rewards. To learn more, visit
www.thecignagroup.com/community.
Media Contact
Jocelyn Parker
(313) 510-4173
Jocelyn.Parker@CignaHealthcare.com
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SOURCE The Cigna Group
