Leading initiative, Louisiana Well Again, to dedicate $1.1 M to COVID-19 Response
LWCC announces the formation of a private foundation to continue furthering its vision—to be a catalyst for elevating Louisiana. The foundation will focus on the areas of health, wellness, and safety in the workplace, and its leading initiative, Louisiana Well Again, will include a $1.1 million, three-phased response package to help Louisiana respond to and recover from COVID-19.
“For the last 28 years, LWCC has driven positive change in over 20,000 Louisiana businesses insured by the company through its initiatives including our annual dividend program, safety services consultants, investment portfolio, and dedicated care for injured workers,” said Kristin Wall, LWCC President and CEO. “We want Louisiana to be a state that attracts the top businesses and leaders in our country. We believe that LWCC is best positioned to contribute to this pursuit by leveraging our resources and expertise to make Louisiana home to the healthiest and safest workforce in America.”
LWCC piloted an initiative called Safe Schools in two Louisiana school districts and after finding initial success, formed the foundation to scale this program and support additional initiatives elevating Louisiana.
In late 2019, funding for the foundation was provided by an initial endowment from the LWCC Board of Directors. The LWCC Foundation defined its vision—to make Louisiana home to the healthiest and safest workforce in America—and its mission—to inspire and create transformational change in Louisiana businesses and workers.
The foundation quickly realized that playing a role in the fight against COVID-19 is filling an immediate need and aligned with the organization’s purpose, vision, and mission. Therefore, resources have been immediately repurposed to help alleviate the impact of COVID-19 on Louisiana citizens.
“History has shown that Louisiana is filled with optimistic and resilient people, but they need resources to overcome adversity. With the outbreak of COVID-19, we saw the need for immediate action and have stepped forward to address both the short- and long-term impacts of this disease. Towards this end, we launched the LWCC Foundation with a three phase gift and grant package: Louisiana Well Again: COVID-19 Response Package,” said John Hawie, LWCC Foundation Board Chair.
The three phases of the Louisiana Well Again: COVID-19 Response Package include:
- Phase 1 is a $100,000 gift to Feeding Louisiana, a state-wide nonprofit organization that supports food banks across the state.
- Phase 2 is a $500,000 grants program that will help hospitals across the state support the work of COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers. Funds will be distributed by June 2020.
- Phase 3 is a $500,000 grants program to fund initiatives focused on improving the health, wellness, and safety of Louisiana workers in the wake of the COVID-19 peak. These initiatives will implement long-term solutions targeting long-existing vulnerabilities in Louisiana workers. This grants program will begin later in 2020 once there is greater clarity on the impacts of COVID-19 on Louisiana’s workforce.
“As a catalyst for elevating Louisiana and its workers, we’re proud to join so many other companies and organizations stepping up to help during these unprecedented times,” said Angele Davis, Chairman of the LWCC Board of Directors. “We hope others will be empowered to leverage their resources and expertise to ensure Louisiana comes out of this stronger than ever before.”
More information on LWCC’s vision for elevating Louisiana, the LWCC Foundation, and Louisiana Well Again, including a link to the grant application for hospitals and hospital foundations, can be found at louisianaloyal.com.
