Meeting the Needs of Our Neighbors and Our People

CoverMyMeds has built a reputation for positively contributing to our communities. Our [mission] (https://experience.covermymeds.com/our-mission) and the passions and interests of our employees shape the ways we give back. Despite the current challenges facing all of us, our commitment has not changed. In fact, we’re expanding our efforts to meet the growing needs of our neighbors — and our employees.

As we reflect on what our people, our community and our company have done to support one another, we’re encouraged and hopeful for a more equitable and brighter future. We’re also humbled and proud to be recognized as a [Company that Cares] (https://people.com/human-interest/people-50-companies-that-care-2020/), a list highlighting the top U.S. companies that have shown outstanding respect and concern for their employees and their communities.

Speaking Out Against Racial Injustice

As a company, we stand with the Black community and are committed to continue using our voice to help end racial injustice, both through our action in the community and within our four walls.

In support of the Black Lives Matter movement, we were thrilled to work with Columbus artist [Hakim Callwood] (https://www.covermymeds.com/main/insights/articles/columbus-artists-amplify-the-message-of-black-lives-matter/) on a mural for our wallscape located just outside Downtown Columbus, near the site of our [future campus] (https://experience.covermymeds.com/new-campus-and-community-impact), and were honored to welcome [local leaders] (https://www.covermymeds.com/main/insights/articles/making-space-for-tough-conversations/) to join our staff for tough conversation about racism in our community and the actions we can take to break the cycle of systemic racism.

We also looked for ways to invest in programs that promote justice and equality for the Black community. We found that in the [Columbus Urban League] (https://www.cul.org/), whose mission is to empower African Americans and disenfranchised groups through economic, educational and social progress. As part of our collaboration with the Urban League, we are supporting “[I am My Brother’s Keeper] (https://www.cul.org/initiatives/i-am-my-brothers-keeper-iambk/),” a program that pairs boys of color throughout Columbus with mentors and role models to help maximize their abilities. With passionate inspiration from [our LGBTQcrew] (https://www.covermymeds.com/main/insights/articles/embracing-individuality-building-a-community/) employee resource group, CoverMyMeds also supports [Black, Out, and Proud] (https://www.blackoutandproud.com/), an organization that provides advocacy, education and inspiration for and by the Black LGBTQ community.

Wanting to find additional hands-on ways to get involved, a group of CoverMyMeds employees recently formed a “Passion Team” to support the [African American Male Wellness Agency] (https://www.aawalk.org/") by participating in its Freedom Walk/Run. The organization does incredible work to eliminate health disparities and racism in our community by offering free health screenings and raising awareness about preventable diseases affecting Black men.

To learn how you can become involved, visit the [Columbus Urban League’s initiatives website] (https://www.cul.org/our-initiatives/).

Prioritizing the Wellbeing of Our Employees

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, many are facing hardship — including our employees and our neighbors. Whether it’s balancing professional responsibilities while caring for a child and serving as an educator, or dealing with financial pressures, each individual’s circumstances and associated challenges are unique. By prioritizing the wellbeing of one another, we can do our best work and achieve our mission: help patients get the medication they need to live healthy lives.

Since the beginning of COVID-19, we’ve significantly bolstered our employee assistance fund, which provides grants to our employees who are experiencing financial hardship due to an unexpected personal crisis. We also relaxed the criteria to qualify for this assistance. As a result, we saw applications double and were able to help even more employees navigate tough situations.

In an era of social distancing and working from home, our employees developed creative ideas to stay connected and entertained while doing good. Among these ideas was a grassroots effort called the “Stay at Home Showcase” — an at-home concert, which livestreamed performances of more than a dozen employees into our living rooms to raise money for YWCA chapters across the community. Inspired by the creativity and generosity of our people, CoverMyMeds matched employee donations for an even greater impact.

Supporting Our Partners in the Community

We’re lucky to work with amazing partners in our community on initiatives from helping those in need to improving access to healthcare. As nonprofits faced uncertainty and surging demand during the pandemic, we felt a responsibility to support them and the people they serve. In recent months, we focused our efforts on helping to meet the basic, critical needs of our neighbors.

With support from CoverMyMeds, [Equitas Health] (https://equitashealth.com/) expanded its telehealth and virtual outreach efforts. The [YMCA of Central Ohio and its Stable Families Program] (https://ymcacolumbus.org/locations/ecrn/stable-families#:~:text=Stable%20Families%20Program&text=By%20intentionally%20focusing%20on%20school,lasts%20up%20to%2012%20months.) made sure that more than 2,000 adults and families had a safe place to live, over 50 healthcare workers and first responders had child care during the pandemic and more than 3,000 families received meals. The [Community Shelter Board] (https://www.csb.org/) expanded the number of shelters to accommodate social distancing while expanding physical, mental and primary healthcare services.

Meanwhile, our employees continue to show their dedication to the communities where we live, work and play by honoring their commitment to volunteer. We just wrapped up CoverMyCommunity 2020, a month-long campaign where we challenged our employees to invest 2,020 hours of their time to help local organizations, including the [YWCA Family Center] (https://www.ywcacolumbus.org/), [Homeless Families Foundation] (https://homelessfamiliesfoundation.org/welcome.html) and the [Van Buren Center] (https://ymcacolumbus.org/locations/vanburen). As an appreciation for their selflessness, CoverMyMeds rewarded those who volunteered the most time with the opportunity to donate to the charity of their choice.

That spirit of giving back isn’t limited to the good we achieved in August. Many of our employees consistently volunteer hours of their time — whether that’s packing and distributing food boxes, delivering care packages to seniors or helping to unload donated items for nonprofit organizations. Through our collaboration with [Besa] (http://www.givebesa.org/), a non-profit organization that works to connect people to volunteer opportunities, we found a number of ways to volunteer virtually as well. We’re proud of the commitment from employees to give back, even during a pandemic, with inspiration from more of our core values: [Embrace Challenges] (https://experience.covermymeds.com/core-values/embrace-challenges) and [Results Matter] (https://experience.covermymeds.com/core-values/results-matter).

There’s no shortage of good achieved by the incredible organizations we share the [Company that Cares] (https://people.com/human-interest/people-50-companies-that-care-2020/) recognition with. Congratulations to all of them and our thanks and appreciation to everyone working together to make a difference.