The Humana Foundation Awards Nearly $1 Million in a Second Year Investment to Kingsley House and Growing Local Food Collaborative

Rhea-AI Summary

The Humana Foundation has invested nearly $1 million in two local projects in greater New Orleans, focused on combating generational poverty and food insecurity. Kingsley House receives $341,000 to help families while the Growing Local Food Collaborative gets $600,000 for food security initiatives. Both organizations made significant adaptations during the pandemic, transitioning programming online and enhancing partnerships. The investments aim to address social determinants of health and promote health equity, marking the second year of partnership following positive results in 2020.

Positive

• Investment of nearly $1 million into local projects enhances community support.
• Kingsley House's program aims to lift families out of generational poverty.
• Growing Local Food Collaborative's initiatives address food security and employment.

Negative

• None.

The Humana Foundation, philanthropic arm of Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) for the past 40 years, announces its second year of investments, totaling nearly $1 million in two local projects in the greater New Orleans area. Kingsley House will receive an investment of $341,000 to fund a program that helps lift families out of generational poverty. Growing Local Food Collaborative, a partnership among several organizations, will receive an investment of $600,000 to address food security, as well as financial asset security and post-secondary education and sustaining employment.

The investments from The Humana Foundation were renewed based on the significant results achieved by both organizations in 2020, who used innovative thinking to face new needs created by the pandemic. Kingsley House transitioned 75% of its programming to an online environment. It also strengthened partnerships with health care partners and employers actively training and hiring Kingsley Connections Program participants. Growing Local Food Collaborative shifted some farmers to a digital sales model, and provided information on food relief and food access resources to families who are newly food insecure. Additionally, they were also able to provide home food delivery through Top Box Foods to individuals with health conditions that made them particularly susceptible to COVID-19.

“The Humana Foundation’s Strategic Community Investments holistically address social determinants of health locally, working to close measurable gaps in health outcomes,” said Walter D. Woods, CEO of The Humana Foundation. “We are looking forward to the second year of our partnership with Kingsley House and Growing Local Food Collaborative as we work together to achieve greater health equity in a sustainable manner.”

Founded in 1896, Kingsley House works to educate children, strengthen families and build community, envisioning a future New Orleans where all young children are ready to learn and all citizens are healthy and economically stable. Kingsley House, in collaboration with DePaul Community Health Centers and Crescent City Family Services and other Thriving Family Collaborative members will continue to use The Foundation’s investment for its Career Pathways program, creating greater economic security, and post-secondary attainment and sustaining employment in New Orleans by using the Whole Family approach to lift families out of generational poverty.

“Humana’s continued investment in our community is critical to helping families during this most recent health and economic crisis,” said Keith H. Liederman, CEO of Kingsley House. “With their support, and in collaboration with our partners of the Thriving Families Collaborative, we have been able to connect families to available resources and help secure living-wage careers during the pandemic. Humana's commitment is assisting families on their path toward economic prosperity.”

Growing Local Food Collaborative will receive $600,000 to continue their work addressing financial asset security, post-secondary attainment and sustaining employment, and food security in New Orleans. The program takes a unique, cooperative approach by working through local partnerships to bring fresh food into food deserts, to create new markets and train local farmers, and to provide training and an employment pipeline for youth in the local food and hospitality economy.

"Our Growing Local Food Collaborative is so excited to be partnering with The Humana Foundation again this year to continue working toward a more inclusive and equitable food system that supports good health and wellness in our community," said Marianne Cufone. The organizations she leads, Recirculating Farms, along with Liberty’s Kitchen, Top Box Foods Louisiana, SPROUT NOLA, and New Orleans Food Policy Action Committee, teamed up to form the Growing Local Food Collaborative to work from farm to fork on food systems change.

The Humana Foundation’s Strategic Community Investment Program

Through partnerships with local organizations and community members, The Humana Foundation’s Strategic Community Investment Program creates measurable results in some of the most common social determinants of health, including post-secondary attainment and sustaining employment, social connectedness, financial asset security and food security. These investments are located in Humana Bold Goal communities, places where Humana and The Humana Foundation are working to help people improve their health 20 percent by 2020 and beyond.

In 2020, The Humana Foundation invested $5,446,000 through the Strategic Community Investment Program in 12 organizations across eight communities. The Humana Foundation’s continuing and expanded Strategic Community Investments include the following locations: Baton Rouge, LA., Broward County, FL., Jacksonville, FL.; Knoxville, TN., Louisville, KY., New Orleans, LA., San Antonio, TX., and Tampa FL.

For more information on specific investment results, please visit the Strategic Community Investment page HumanaFoundation.org.

About Kingsley House

At Kingsley House, we envision a city and region where all young children are ready to succeed and all citizens are healthy and economically stable. Recognizing that vulnerable families are at risk of being caught in an intractable cycle of poverty, we are committed to ensuring that individuals and families have the supports necessary to be successful at all stages of life. To accomplish our goals, we join forces with dedicated community partners. Collectively, we work with families to fuel economic growth and social change in our city, state and region.

For more information about Kingsley House visit www.kingsleyhouse.org

About Growing Local Food Collaborative

The Growing Local Food Collaborative is building an equitable local food system in New Orleans, Louisiana by bringing together multi-sector partners to promote health and wellness through increased food access, job training, and policy advocacy. From farm to fork, the Collaborative supports our community through local food production and distribution, farmer support and development, entrepreneurship, and market expansion; particularly in neighborhoods with limited access to fresh food. The Collaborative works to reduce food waste, elevate agricultural practices that respect people and our planet, and create opportunities for stable green jobs in food and farming. Members of the Growing Local Food Collaborative are: Liberty’s Kitchen, New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Committee, Recirculating Farms, SPROUT NOLA, and Top Box Foods Louisiana. Second Harvest Food Bank joins on special projects.

About The Humana Foundation

The Humana Foundation was established in 1981 as the philanthropic arm of Humana Inc., one of the nation’s leading health and well-being companies. Located in Louisville, Ky., The Foundation seeks to co-create communities where leadership, culture, and systems work to improve and sustain positive health outcomes. For more information, visit humanafoundation.org.

Humana and The Humana Foundation are dedicated to Corporate Social Responsibility. Our goal is to ensure that every business decision we make reflects our commitment to improving the health and well-being of our members, our employees, the communities we serve, and our planet.

About Humana

Humana Inc. is committed to helping our millions of medical and specialty members achieve their best health. Our successful history in care delivery and health plan administration is helping us create a new kind of integrated care with the power to improve health and well-being and lower costs. Our efforts are leading to a better quality of life for people with Medicare, families, individuals, military service personnel, and communities at large.

To accomplish that, we support physicians and other health care professionals as they work to deliver the right care in the right place for their patients, our members. Our range of clinical capabilities, resources and tools – such as in-home care, behavioral health, pharmacy services, data analytics and wellness solutions – combine to produce a simplified experience with the goal of making health care easier to navigate and more effective.

More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company’s website at humana.com, including copies of:

• Annual reports to stockholders
• Securities and Exchange Commission filings
• Most recent investor conference presentations
• Quarterly earnings news releases and conference calls
• Calendar of events
• Corporate Governance information.

 

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FAQ

What are the recent investments made by Humana Foundation in New Orleans?

Humana Foundation has invested nearly $1 million in two local projects, providing $341,000 to Kingsley House and $600,000 to the Growing Local Food Collaborative.

How does Humana Foundation address food insecurity in New Orleans?

Humana Foundation supports the Growing Local Food Collaborative, which aims to increase food access and security through local partnerships.

What is the focus of Kingsley House's program funded by Humana Foundation?

Kingsley House's program aims to lift families out of generational poverty, supported by a $341,000 investment from Humana Foundation.

What challenges did Kingsley House and Growing Local Food Collaborative face during the pandemic?

Both organizations adapted by transitioning programs online and enhancing partnerships to address new needs arising from the pandemic.

What long-term goals does Humana Foundation have for community investments?

Humana Foundation aims to address social determinants of health and promote health equity through strategic community investments.