Wounded Veterans to Benefit from Laptop Donation
Julie Bitely
| 2 min read
The sacrifices made by veterans, particularly those who’ve been wounded during their service, are immeasurable. While many programs exist to help returning soldiers with housing, employment and other issues, sometimes it’s the little things that can make a big difference. Recently, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s Information Technology (IT) and Diversity and Inclusion divisions donated 55 laptops to the Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund to help Michigan veterans have access to tools that will help improve their lives. “Every veteran has a different set of needs,” said Lynn Phillips, executive director, Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund. “We get calls all the time from Michigan veterans who need a laptop. These veterans will greatly benefit from the generosity of your organization.” The laptop donation was the first outreach effort of the Blue Cross Veterans Employee Resource Network, which was launched on Veterans Day last November to promote the unique capabilities that veterans bring to the workforce. More than 100 employees have joined. “The laptops were used as evaluation units to pilot new technology at Blue Cross,” said David Sepuha, senior director, IT. “When we moved forward with the new technology, we decided not to offer this particular model as part of the company’s laptop refresh. We partnered with Diversity and Inclusion to find an organization that would benefit from having them.” Two Enterprise IT engineers, Barry Brey and Richard Doster, are veterans themselves, and worked to get the equipment ready for donation during their spare time. “We appreciate the enthusiasm and support of Enterprise IT to help strengthen partnerships in our community,” said Bridget Hurd, senior director, Diversity and Inclusion. “The Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund is a great organization. This donation will go a long ways toward helping veterans develop skills and enrich their lives.” If you enjoyed this blog post, you might also like:
- Blue Cross Named a Veteran-Friendly Employer by Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency
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Photo credit: MarineCorps NewYork
