Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas created a unique partnership with the American Red Cross that provides assistance to members, the community and employees. The partnership engages employees in assisting with the aftermath of destructive storms, provides financial resources to the Red Cross and prepares employees for disaster through preparedness training.
The company's Disaster Response Team is made up of 30 employees from every division and various offices including Topeka, Salina and Wichita. They are trained by experienced American Red Cross volunteers and employees in the areas of case work and recovery planning, disaster assessment, sheltering, feeding and psychological first-aid.
In the spring of 2019, the BCBKS Disaster Response Team responded to disasters in Lawrence, Coffeyville and Clay Center, Kansas. When deployed, employee volunteers provided relief in the forms of tornado disaster assessment in Lawrence and flooding and sheltering support and disaster assessment in Coffeyville and Clay Center. A total of nine employees responded to these disasters and volunteered for days a time.
American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education. For more information about the American Red Cross in Kansas, please visit https://www.redcross.org/local/kansas.html
