Independence Blue Cross Donates Computers, Changes Lives

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 6, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In 2012, Independence Blue Cross continued its commitment to the community by donating 364 computers to Tech Impact (formerly NPower PA and DE), a charitable group that provides technology services and support to more than 400 nonprofit agencies in our region. The donation, which arrived just in time for the holidays, provided much-needed PCs and laptops, some of which will be used for tutoring and after-school programs.

"The feedback from those who receive our computers really helps our associates understand the value of the work they do behind the scenes to prepare the workstations for their new homes," said Sue Kozik, IBC senior vice president and chief information officer. "Their stories also demonstrate IBC's commitment to the community."

The computers donated by IBC to Tech Impact's PC Donation Program have been received by a diverse range of charities in the greater Philadelphia region who will use them to enhance and expand their own outreach efforts.

"This is a true community-serving partnership. Without the generosity of companies like Independence Blue Cross, many charities in Greater Philadelphia would go without the necessary technology they need to fulfill their missions," said Patrick Callihan, executive director of Tech Impact. "It's a huge effort to prepare hundreds of PCs for donation, and IBC has made it happen several times. We look forward to continuing this successful partnership."

Benefitting organizations have said:

• "The children enrolled in our after school program in West Philadelphia are delighted with the donation of 10 desktop computers that allow them to do homework research, creative writing, and even some video editing! We are very grateful to our friends at Tech Impact for connecting us with a corporate donor who shares our commitment to creating high-quality learning environments through a donation program that also aligns with our school's sustainability goals." Cindy Roberts, executive director at the Parent-Infant Center
• "Your donation has made a huge difference in our ability to serve clients on a daily basis. The impact this donation has for our agency is enormous, as we are now able to process crime victim compensation claims more efficiently as well as increase our outreach capacity." Phu Tien, victim advocate/volunteer coordinator at Victim/Witness Services of South Philadelphia
• "Your generous PC donation has allowed more people access to computers to develop resumes and seek employment, as well as affording our afterschool program the ability to efficiently bill funders, develop educational curriculum, and conduct day to day operations. We graciously salute you and your generosity!" Deirdre L. Lowman, Southwest Community Development Corporation
   

IBC began working with Tech Impact in early 2011. That year, the company donated 677 computers which were previously used by associates and replaced during technology updates. The machines were distributed to over 45 Delaware Valley organizations after being wiped clean of data and having valuable software loaded by volunteers from ING DIRECT/Capital One and Reed Technology and Information Services.

About Independence Blue Cross

Proudly celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2013, Independence Blue Cross is a leading health insurer in southeastern Pennsylvania. With our affiliates, we have 3.1 million members nationwide. We are enhancing the health and wellness of the people and communities we serve by delivering innovative and competitively priced health care products and services; pioneering new ways to reward doctors, hospitals, and other health care professionals for coordinated, quality care; and supporting programs and events that promote wellness. To learn more about how we're changing the game, visit www.ibx.com. Connect with us on Facebook at ibx.com/facebook and on Twitter at @ibx. Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

About Tech Impact

Tech Impact is a nonprofit whose mission is to ensure all nonprofits can use technology to better serve our world. We maintain and deploy a comprehensive suite of products and services that focus solely on the needs of nonprofits. We can implement and support an organization's entire technology infrastructure, either in the cloud or on-premise, or we can just lighten the load on internal resources.  We have partnered with hundreds of organizations since 2003: to help each one realize the potential of technology to achieve their mission.  Visit us at www.techimpact.org.

Contacts:

Kathleen Conlon
215.241.4576
Kathleen.Conlon@ibx.com

Anthony Pisapia
215.557.1559
anthony@techimpact.org

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