LYNN — Sixteen Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts employees stepped out of the office and rolled up their sleeves to build bed frames at the Lynn Coalition for the Homeless on last Thursday, Sept. 25.
A Bed for Every Child is an initiative of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless that provides beds for children in need. It was launched in 2012 after a Lynn Public Schools teacher told the Coalition that some of her students suffered from excessive sleepiness in class because they didn’t have comfortable sleeping arrangements at home.
“A bed is one of the most expensive things in your house to buy, so if you’re low income, you might often have to resort to an air mattress, or an old mattress that needs to be upgraded,” said Robyn Frost, executive director at Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless. “And we know how important it is to be able to give a child a good night’s sleep to be able to go to school and be able to concentrate for the rest of the day.”
Blue Cross Blue Shield sponsors the bed frames for the Build a Bed Project, which allows A Bed For Every Child to cover mattresses and delivery costs to families.
“A lot of people overlook having a place to sleep with something that’s comfortable and your own. While there are many organizations providing food and backpacks, this is one of the first ones I’ve seen that looks at one of the most important things to keep you alive,” said Cori Linsky, senior analyst at Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts.
On Sept. 25, Blue Cross Blue Shield employees finished the construction of eight bed frames, which will now be sent out to children on the Bed for Every Child waitlist who lack proper sleeping arrangements. The event was part of Blue Cross Blue Shield’s 15th annual Service Day, which is a company-wide day of volunteering with nonprofits in local communities.
Vivian Bracewell, senior financial operation auditor at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, has been participating in Service Day for four years. With a power tool in hand, she explained why the initiative aligns with her values as a Blue Cross Blue Shield employee.
“It’s been really gratifying to come out and work together with the team on projects that really matter to the community,” Bracewell said. “Kids having somewhere to sleep is such a basic need, and being able to help with that is really satisfying.”
