Aetna awards $300,000 grant to BBBS of Kentuckiana for expansion of youth mentoring services in West Louisville
From left to right: State Senator Gerald Neal (D-Louisville); Kelly Pullen, Executive Director of Aetna Better Health of Kentucky SKY; Paige Mankovich, CEO of Aetna Better Health of Kentucky; and Gary Friedman, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Aetna, a CVS Health® company, has awarded a $300,000 grant to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana (BBBSKY) to support the agency’s preventative youth mentoring services and the opening of its new office space at the Norton Healthcare Goodwill Opportunity Campus.
BBBSKY recognizes that while all youth have equal potential, they do not have equal opportunity. The agency’s evidence-based mentoring services promote equity through meaningful relationships required to achieve its vision: All youth achieve their full potential.
The new office will provide space needed to enhance BBBSKY services for youth and young adults ages 7-25 through large-scale skills building workshops, match activities, mentor celebrations, community events, and more.
As a result of mentoring, youth achieve academic success, stable mental well-being, form healthy relationships, and lower/eliminate harmful behaviors.
“As this amazing facility was being envisioned, Goodwill found that mentoring services were the second-most desired resource in West Louisville. We are proud to expand our program space at the Opportunity Campus, and we thank our partner and friends at Aetna for helping make it possible,” said Gary Friedman, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana.
The focal point of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana’s West Louisville office features a word cloud around the phrase “Achieve Your Full Potential.”
Aetna’s grant demonstrates an expansion of its commitment to the Commonwealth, which is already thriving through Aetna Better Health of Kentucky.
“Mentorship is an essential part in creating positive youth development and improving overall health outcomes,” said Paige Franklin, Chief Executive Officer, Aetna Better Health of Kentucky. “Aetna is committed to addressing and eliminating barriers for under-resourced youth to make sure that every young Kentuckian – regardless of their background – has the chance to achieve their full potential. Our investment in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana aims to advance health equity in the communities we serve, and we look forward to partnering with them to further support the well-being of youth in Kentucky.”
“We are so excited to see the good that comes from this investment," said Kelly Pullen, Executive Director of Aetna Better Health of Kentucky SKY. "Mentorships are powerful tools and, with one mentorship at a time, this collaboration will provide Kentucky children with the positive relationships they need to thrive.”