Excellence in service awards

As an adoptive parent and mother of four, Elizabeth is a true advocate for children and families, especially during difficult times. Motivated by her own experiences, Elizabeth helps others to grieve and heal by running a support group for pregnancy, infant, and child loss through the Hope Floats Healing and Wellness Center in Kingston. Each year, she partners with other mothers who have lost children for the Angels Holiday Donation Drive, fulfilling the wish lists of more than 1,500 children served by the Department of Children and Families. In 2020, she played a leadership role in Blue Cross’ most successful holiday drive yet, engaging her colleagues to donate gifts and personally collecting and distributing presents for more than a 100 children served by the Wonderfund.

Jeff embodies sustainability and environmental health by engaging in daily actions that have a positive impact on both his own wellbeing, but also the health of his family, his community, and our planet. He is an avid outdoors enthusiast and follows a plant-based diet, harvesting a good majority of his own produce in his family’s extensive garden. He recycles and composts nearly all his trash, uses reusable glass containers, and purchases natural cleaning products. At Blue Cross, Jeff shares his passion for the environment to  inform fellow associates and improve our company operations by serving as an active member of our Green Teams, participating in our company garden program, and assisting with the weekly distribution and delivery of the corporate Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) Program. Jeff also gives back to his South Shore community. He serves on the Scituate Shellfish Advisory Board and is currently pursuing the establishment of seaweed farming in the Boston Harbor as a food source and fertilizer.

Jude uses language as a powerful tool for connection with the community. As part of the Care Concierge team, she often uses her fluency in English, Haitian-Creole and Spanish to provide translation services for colleagues and customers. She serves on our Health and Medical Management’s Cultural Engagement Group and actively shares her insights on health inequities based on need to help the team better support the nurses who provide care for members from various backgrounds. Outside of Blue Cross, she is a regular volunteer with the Boston Missionary Baptist Food Pantry and has connected her colleagues to give back to this organization as well. This year she managed all of this while helping her three sons with their virtual schoolwork. 

As a Latina in healthcare and student of public health, Marisa is dedicated to the health and prosperity of the Latinx community. She has provided translation services for Kids In Need of Defense to support children going through immigration procedures, mentored young people through Playworks New England, and volunteers regularly with Ozzie’s Kids in Cambridge. She also serves on various nonprofit advisory and fundraising committees, including the Greater Lawrence Health Center and Cambridge Public Health. 

When COVID-19 hit in early March, Maryelizabeth promptly created Mission Masks with the objective of keeping her local community of Taunton safe. Purchasing the materials on her own, Maryelizabeth has spent countless hours designing and sewing almost 9,000 masks which have been donated to local residents who either couldn’t find masks during the early days of the pandemic or to those who could not afford them. She’s passed along any donations she received directly to support The Matthew Mission, a local shelter providing care for the homeless during the pandemic. To support other nonprofits impacted by the pandemic, Maryelizabeth has also started selling matching lanyards to go with the masks, that she then donates all of the proceeds to a rotating local charity of the month including Cancer Care Cabbies, Citizens for Citizens, Inc. and Taunton Operation Christmas. In December alone, she was able to raise $3,500.00 to help provide holiday gifts for families in need.

After seeing the devasting effect of COVID-19 and the desperate need for masks, Cori immediately pulled her sewing machine out of retirement to help provide homemade face coverings for friends and family. What started out as a small way to help grew into a tally of over 5,100 masks distributed broadly to friends, family, co-workers, veteran's homes, local restaurants, and healthcare workers. Sewing round the clock, Cori has provided masks to many of our Blue Cross nonprofit partners including the Weymouth Food Pantry, Magical Moon Foundation, Father Bill’s & MainSpring, Pine Street Inn, Boys & Girls Club of Lowell and Birthday Wishes. She’s also shared her talents with her Blue Cross colleagues, helping lead virtual mask making service projects so others can also donate to those in need in their own communities.

Thanks to Kevin’s leadership managing Blue Cross’ Community and Associate Meal Program, more than 150,000 nutritious meals were distributed to individuals and families in need in 2020. Under this thoughtful guidance the company was able to launch the pilot meal program to respond to the rising rate of food insecurity across the state. He overcame challenges to plan and procure desirable meals within budget, maximize output with a reduced staff, and implement safe, sanitary and socially-distant procedures for food preparation and distribution. His 110% commitment has ensured that as many people as possible are receiving fresh, delicious and nutritious food during a very difficult time. A true champion for both community and our colleagues, he has also been integral in our employee CSA program and ensuring that the food served in our cafeterias is safe and sustainable.  

Inspired by a Blue Cross Service Week presentation on food insecurity, Michelle created Metrowest Meal Bags to provide nutritious, homemade, meals to local families and individuals in need. What started relatively small as meals of gratitude for teachers and healthcare workers, quickly grew to Michelle supporting her local Natick food pantry and families in quarantine with hearty healthy meals - particularly for those with food allergies and sensitivities. Every week since October she has made meals for 10 - 20 people that are customizable based on their dietary restrictions. Her goal is to share a home cooked meal with people who could use a little extra support, be it financially, physically or mentally.

Over the past year, Kim has volunteered her time to help those affected by COVID-19. Always eager to help others and support her community, Kim volunteers regularly at the Holbrook Food Pantry in Brockton, often bringing her son and niece to help with their weekly food distributions. She also engages her family to help decorate meal bags with cheerful drawing and words of encouragement that are used by Support the Soupman to distribute food to homeless men and women. Kim is looked at as a role model and mentor to many on her team who view her generous spirit as an inspiration.

Head to the Weymouth Food Pantry on a Saturday morning, and you’ll see Kathy Sprague. For over four years, Kathy has helped to feed between 100-130 families each weekend through the pantry’s food distribution. When COVID-19 hit, Kathy reached out to our Corporate Citizenship Team to raise awareness of the need in her community and how the Weymouth Food Pantry was providing critical support. As a result of her connection, more than 30 Blue Cross employees have volunteered to support the pantry’s community garden and food distribution and the company has partnered with the organization as part of its pilot Community Meal Program, which distributes more than 400 fresh meals each month prepared by Blue Cross’ dining services team. In addition to Kathy’s support of the Weymouth Food Pantry she has also been a long-term leader in the company’s annual day of Service leading multiple projects to support the Germantown Neighborhood Center in Quincy.