Highmark Bright Blue Futures awards program grants over half a million dollars to nonprofit organizations improving community health across Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, and Delaware
Sept. 14, 2026 | PITTSBURGH
PITTSBURGH (Sept. 14, 2026) — Nonprofit organizations across Highmark Health's footprint, including Pennsylvania, western and northeastern New York, West Virginia and Delaware, received Highmark Bright Blue Futures Awards today for their commitment to creating measurable, lasting improvements in community health. Made possible by the Highmark Foundation, the awards program awarded grants totaling more than half a million dollars this year, and more than $2 million since its inception.
The Highmark Health headquarters in downtown Pittsburgh will shine bright blue from dusk to dawn in recognition of the organizations and partnerships making a lasting impact on community health across Highmark's footprint.
"Real health and well-being happen when people have the support and opportunities they need to truly thrive," said Kenya T. Boswell, senior vice president of Community Affairs for Highmark Health and president of the Highmark Foundation. "Grounded in our community health priorities, this year's awardees are delivering real, measurable results that drive down negative health outcomes and consistently outperform standard benchmarks — changing lives today and building stronger, healthier communities for the future."
Nominated by trusted community leaders, the following organizations received Highmark Bright Blue Futures Awards:
Allegheny County Parks Foundation (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
The Allegheny County Parks Foundation is the nonprofit partner to Allegheny County Parks, working to improve, conserve and restore the region’s nine county parks and 12,000 acres of public green space. The Parks Foundation raises public and private funds to design and implement capital projects and conducts ecological assessments, action plans and surveys that guide conservation, restoration and improvements across the park system. Since its founding, the Parks Foundation has invested more than $19 million in park improvements, including nearly 31,000 linear feet of trail improvements and the planting of more than 12,000 trees, shrubs and live stakes.
Cabin Creek Health Systems (Charleston, W.Va.)
For more than 50 years, Cabin Creek Health Systems has delivered comprehensive, compassionate care to communities across West Virginia, serving more than 21,000 patients through 81,000 annual visits at 13 locations. As a patient-centered medical home, Cabin Creek provides primary care, behavioral health, dental services, addiction recovery programs and school-based health care, while innovative programs such as its Comprehensive Addiction & Recovery Program and Community Impact team expand access to vulnerable populations. Their commitment to meeting people where they are has helped increase outreach to unhoused individuals by 100% over the past three years and grow addiction recovery services by 35% in just two years.
D.R.E.A.M. Partnership (Camp Hill, Pa.)
D.R.E.A.M. Partnership is opening doors to brighter futures for students with intellectual disabilities by expanding access to inclusive postsecondary education opportunities across Pennsylvania. Since 2014, the organization has awarded 474 scholarships totaling more than $1.7 million and helped fund or currently supports 14 of Pennsylvania's 18 inclusive postsecondary education programs. By fostering independent living skills, meaningful campus experiences and pathways to employment, D.R.E.A.M. Partnership is transforming lives while strengthening communities and demonstrating the value of lifelong learning for all.
Forward Journey Adult Day Services (New Castle, Del.)
Forward Journey Adult Day Services enriches the lives of adults with multiple, severe disabilities, filling a critical need as Delaware's only nonprofit day habilitation program. Through individualized care, full-time nursing support, recreational programming, assistive technology, and the MOVE® for Adults program, they help participants strengthen their mobility, express their choices, build meaningful relationships, and engage more fully in their communities. Their outcomes-driven approach helps prevent hospitalization and residential placement, with nearly 70% of participants maintaining or improving functional mobility over time, helping individuals remain active, connected and engaged in their communities.
Project HOME (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Project HOME is transforming lives by helping individuals and families break the cycle of homelessness and poverty in Philadelphia. Through a holistic approach that combines housing, healthcare, education and employment services, the organization served approximately 11,000 people in 2025, connected more than 5,000 individuals through street outreach efforts and provided supportive housing to 1,500 residents. Project HOME's integrated care model is improving health outcomes, expanding access to care and helping thousands build healthier, more stable futures.
Unity House (Troy, N.Y.)
For more than five decades, Unity House has helped individuals and families build healthier, safer and more stable lives through programs that address housing, food security, behavioral health, employment, education and family support. Each year, more than 10,000 people turn to Unity House for assistance, finding a network of services designed to address immediate needs while creating pathways to long-term success. By connecting people with care, resources and opportunities, Unity House strengthens families, supports individual well-being and helps build more resilient communities.
On September 15, the Highmark Foundation will host its third annual Highmark Bright Blue Futures Thought Leadership Forum, bringing together current and past awardees, community leaders and forward-thinking advocates to share insights and build partnerships for lasting community health.
For more information about Highmark Bright Blue Futures, visit www.highmark.com/brightbluefutures.
About Highmark Foundation
The Highmark Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) private, charitable organization dedicated to improving the health, wellbeing, and quality of life for individuals who reside in the communities served by Highmark, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. We fulfill our mission by awarding high-impact grants to charitable organizations that implement evidence-based programs aimed at improving community health. Central to the Foundation’s mission is identifying and continuously reevaluating our region’s prevailing healthcare needs. By doing so, the Foundation remains at the forefront of those needs, well-equipped to pinpoint the issues that more urgently need support.
We established two restricted funds in 2021, the Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health and the United Concordia Dental Charitable Fund, to further support the ongoing work of the Highmark Foundation.
In 2023, we established the Highmark Bright Blue Futures Awards, an awards and recognition program to honor exceptional organizations demonstrating a measurable, lasting impact in community health through outcomes-based initiatives.
For more information, visit www.highmarkfoundation.org and follow the Highmark Foundation on LinkedIn.
Contact:
Emily Mashore
Highmark Health
412-552-0402
Emily.Mashore@highmarkhealth.org
Maddie Goerl
Highmark Health
724-799-4441
Madison.Goerl@highmarkhealth.org