Allianz Life Contributes $100,000 to Meet Local Transportation Needs for Seniors
April 21, 2011 by N/A
Allianz Life Contributes $100,000 to Meet Local Transportation Needs for Seniors
MINNEAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life) has awarded Golden Valley-based PRISM (People Responding in Social Ministry) a $100,000 grant to help meet increased transportation demand from local seniors. The funding has allowed PRISM to acquire a new van and transportation routing software for the PRISM Express transportation service, enabling it to increase its efficiency and provide an additional 6,850 rides to homebound seniors on an annual basis.
Last year, due to significant budget cuts and funding adjustments by both the United Way and the Metropolitan Council, more than 150,000 rides for seniors were eliminated across the Twin Cities, leading to a dramatic increase in demand for PRISM Express to fill this transportation gap for seniors. “The weak economy has affected everyone, but it has been especially hard on our senior population,” said Gary C. Bhojwani, president and CEO of Allianz Life. “Our goal is to ensure seniors can remain independent, socially active and have a great quality of life. We are pleased to be able to help PRISM assist seniors with this very basic human need.” According to a report by the National Center on Senior Transportation, a primary factor determining whether an individual can remain living independently at home is mobility, which includes getting to the doctor, the grocery store and the community center to participate in community life. As the population ages, a social services approach to senior transportation is increasingly needed versus having seniors drive their own cars, use public transportation, or being forced to move into assisted living. “By making it possible for our aging population to stay in their own homes, the state saves millions of dollars in long-term care, yet transportation dollars for the aging are being cut out of federal, state, and local funding budgets,” PRISM Executive Director Liz Johnson said. “Allianz Life stepped in to address this critical need, giving us the opportunity to increase our capacity to serve ever-growing numbers of seniors seeking our transportation services.” About Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America has been keeping its promises since 1896. Today, it carries on that tradition, helping Americans achieve their retirement income goals with a variety of annuities and life insurance products. As a leading provider of fixed index annuities, Allianz Life is part of Allianz SE, a global leader in the financial services industry with nearly 155,000 employees worldwide. Based on its revenue, Allianz SE is the 20th largest company in the world (Fortune Global 500, August 2010). Allianz Life Source: Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America |