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CAREFIRST X SMYAL
Teaming Up to Support Local LGBTQ+ Youth
Together with Monumental Sports and the Washington Capitals, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) is committed to supporting the health and well-being of the communities it serves.
Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders (SMYAL) is a local organization whose mission is to empower lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ+) youth and provide access to crucial resources they need to succeed. They provide leadership development opportunities, after-school programs, and counseling services and provide a sense of safety and community for those who seek their support. Monumental Sports and CareFirst have teamed up this season to highlight the services SMYAL provides to local LGBTQ+ youth and spread awareness for the important work they are doing in the Washington D.C metropolitan area.
CAREFIRST x SMYAL Intro
CAREFIRST X SMYAL SCHOLARSHIP
SMYAL Scholarships
SMYAL’s scholarships recognize outstanding LGBTQ+ student leaders who have demonstrated personal growth and a commitment to creating change.
CF x SMYAL Youth Pride
Youth Pride
Youth Pride DMV is a day-long event where LGBTQ+ youth take center stage and celebrate their identities with pride and joy!
CareFirst x SMYAL Pride Parade
Pride Parade
Last June, MSE, CareFirst, and SMYAL celebrated #Pride together at the Capital Pride Parade. Join us this year June 8-9!
SMYAL Housing Program
SMYAL Housing Program
Hear how SMYAL’s Housing Program played an important role in Tessa’s life and how it provides shelter and comprehensive programming to support LGBT youth on their path to independence.
About CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
Frequently, your zip code can be a better predictor of health outcomes than your genetic code. CareFirst wants to change that. By proactively identifying and addressing social determinants of health like access to education, food, and financial stability, as well as access to affordable, quality healthcare, CareFirst and Monumental Sports are making a meaningful impact to minimize disparities, advance equity, and transform the healthcare experience.
CareFirst is a not-for-profit healthcare company offering health insurance products and services to 3.6 million members in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia. In 2022, CareFirst invested $24 million to improve overall health and increase the accessibility, affordability, safety, and quality of healthcare throughout the mid-Atlantic region.
Learn more about the collaboration between CareFirst, DC Greens, and Monumental Sports.
About SMYAL
SMYAL (Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders) supports and empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ+) youth in the Washington, DC metropolitan region. Through youth leadership, SMYAL creates opportunities for LGBTQ+ youth to build self-confidence, develop critical life skills, and engage their peers and community through service and advocacy. Committed to social change, SMYAL builds, sustains and advocates for programs, policies and services that LGBTQ+ youth need as they grow into adulthood.
SMYAL’s scholarships recognize outstanding LGBTQ+ student leaders who have demonstrated personal growth and a commitment to creating change in their school or community while remaining unapologetically themselves.
Prior Partners
In Southeast D.C.'s Congress Heights neighborhood, CareFirst and the Capitals are partnering with DC Greens on various programs, including the Well at Oxon Run. The Well is a resident-led intergenerational urban farm and community wellness space that empowers community members to define and create wellness on their own terms.
DC Greens believes that achieving health equity requires resilient, just, and equitable food systems.
DC Greens advances health equity by creating cross-sector collaborations and advancing equitable, city-wide policy solutions to build a just and resilient food system. We do this work in solidarity with marginalized communities experiencing poverty and food insecurity.
The Well is an intergenerational farm and community wellness space in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Ward 8, in Southeast, D.C. This space has been envisioned alongside residents of the community, and is now led by Jaren Hill Lockridge, our Director of The Well and a resident of the neighborhood. DC Greens has built a channel for resources to flow into this community - filling The Well - so that neighbors have what they need to define and create wellness on their own terms.
Meet the team at the Well and learn more about the importance of the space in the local community.
Introducing The Well
DC Greens' Produce Rx program promotes "food-as-medicine" through by providing easy access to healthy foods to combat diet related illnesses.
Produce Rx
MSE and CareFirst employees joined DC Greens at the Well at Oxon Run to help them prepare for the summer season.
