Lincoln Reimbursement Solutions and our employees are dedicated to serving and bettering the communities we live and work in.
In partnership with a wide range of community organizations, we support health research, philanthropic events, local educational programs, and other non-profit activities that work to improve the lives of those in our communities.
As we approach February, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the importance of Black History Month.
Black History Month is a time to celebrate the contributions, achievements, and rich history of Black Americans. It is a reminder of the resilience, creativity, and determination of a community that has overcome tremendous obstacles and adversity to shape our country and our world.
At LRS, we are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work. That is why I encourage each of you to take some time this month to learn more about the history and culture of Black Americans. This could include attending events, reading books or articles, or participating in discussions with colleagues.
By taking part in this celebration, we can deepen our understanding of the experiences and perspectives of our Black coworkers, colleagues, and customers. We can also gain a greater appreciation of the diversity that makes our country and our workplace stronger.
Today, LRS made a donation to Equal Justice Initiative. EJI is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the U.S., challenging racial and economic injustice, and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.
Thank you for your time and your commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace.
<3
Bryanne
December 2022 - A Note From Bryanne
Each year around the holidays, LRS likes to support several organizations dedicated to making positive changes in our community. This year, we asked our employees to suggest organizations that have impacted their lives. To honor our team, we will make donations to the following organizations:
-National Alliance to End Homelessness
We wish you all Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!
<3 Team LRS
LRS Participates in the Third Annual Choose Joy for Melina Virtual 5K
October 2022 - Canfield, Ohio
In June 2020, Melina Michelle Edenfield lost her courageous battle with diffuse midline glioma, a rare and aggressive brain tumor. The Edenfield and Popovec families have been pillars of strength and joy during this unbelievably tragic time. In order to honor Melina, they started the Melina Michelle Edenfield Foundation to work to find a cure for terminal pediatric brain tumors. The Foundation's proceeds will go toward research for pediatric brain tumors and to those families afflicted with this terrible disease.
In Melina's mother, Michelle's own words - "Melina is the best thing this world has seen. And if you knew her you were blessed. But her job here isn't done. Melina gave me her gifts of fight and joy. And I promise you baby girl I will fight. But I also promise you the world will know your joy." Melina was her families’ miracle for 4 ½ years, and through her Foundation, we all hope she can be the miracle for other families forever!
LRS joined Melina and the MMEF last year in their mission to raise awareness and funds to help find a cure for Pediatric Brain Tumors and we encourage you to donate to such an incredible cause. Help Melina continue to win and help her save the lives of other children. Choose joy today for Melina.
All donations can be mailed to:
The Melina Michelle Edenfield Foundation
P.O. Box 34
Canfield, OH 44406
We Stand With Ukraine.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has created a humanitarian crisis with hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing their homes. More than 160,000 people reportedly have been displaced within Ukraine since February 24 when the invasion started and over 520,000 have crossed into neighboring Moldova, Poland, and other European nations. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations warned that up to five million Ukrainians could be displaced.
Today is Employee Appreciation Day. To honor our team and our core values, we have donated $1,000 to "Stand With Ukraine" hosted by Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher. Mila wrote, "While we are witnessing the bravery of Ukrainians, we are also bearing witness to the unimaginable burden of those who have chosen safety. Countless amounts of people have left everything they know and love behind to seek refuge. With nothing but what they could carry, these Ukrainian refugees are in need of housing and supplies right away."
We wanted to express our appreciation for each and every one of you and also share what we can where it is needed the most.
We stand with Ukraine.
<3 Bryanne & Melissa
December 20th, 2021
This Holiday Season, LRS has sponsored a 10 year old boy named Kameron through Bike A Better. The nonprofit organization, bike a better , began their mission 3 years ago of ensuring all children in central PA, regardless of socioeconomic status, would have a bike. As a result, this Christmas, 308 children who do not own a bike (many who never have) will experience the joy of owning and riding a bike.
LRS has also sponsored a family located in Northeast Ohio. LRS was able to provide gifts for Christmas morning for three little girls through Hope Match. HopeMatch is an organization that proudly partners with community members to spread hope to the unseen and the underserved.
We wish you all Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year
<3 Team LRS
September 1st, 2021 - A Note From Bryanne
With recent events occurring in Afghanistan, I would like to show our support and help however we can as a company. As a mother to young children, it has been particularly heartbreaking to see all of the young children who have had their lives completely disrupted, left without food or shelter, or have lost their parents or family members.
Save Our Children is an organization that has been working to save the lives of children around the world for over 100 years, including in Afghanistan since 1976. LRS will be donating $1,000 to Save the Children to help meet the most urgent needs of Afghan children and families both living in Afghanistan and seeking refuge in America.
If you would like to make your own individual donations, their website is www.savethechildren.org.
June 4, 2021 - A Note from Bryanne:
In celebration of Pride, LRS will make a donation to each of the following organizations that are dedicated to the empowerment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people.
-OutRight Action International
We hope that even with the challenging time we are in, that you are able to celebrate Pride and the meaning it holds for so many.
Let love and progress prevail!
LRS Powers the Polls
September 9, 2020 - Chicago, IL
There has never been a more important election than the one our country is facing in November. This election also has the power to have historic turnout. However, the average age of a poll worker is over 60. This age group is at highest risk for COVID-19 so fewer people are signing up to work at their local polling places. The consequences of this are dire and have already been felt in this year's primary elections where poll worker shortages have led to long lines and voter suppression through the consolidation of polling places.
Our democracy depends on poll workers to ensure in-person voting runs smoothly. At LRS, in the spirit of our commitment to equality and advocating for every voice, we want to be a small part of ensuring every person in our hometown communities has a chance to have their vote counted. To do so, LRS is offering 8-hours of paid leave to any LRS employee who wants to work at the polls on Election Day.
LRS is encouraging registering to work through Power the Polls - an organization dedicated to ensuring polling places are adequately staffed to ensure a safe, fair, and efficient voting process for all.
To a better future-
Bryanne
LRS Supports The Melina Michelle Edenfield Foundation
June 30, 2020 - Canfield, Ohio
In June of this year, Melina Michelle Edenfield lost her courageous battle with diffuse midline glioma, a rare and aggressive brain tumor. The Edenfield and Popovec families have been pillars of strength and joy during this unbelievably tragic time. In order to honor Melina, they started the Melina Michelle Edenfield Foundation to work to find a cure for terminal pediatric brain tumors. Less than 4% of pediatric brain tumors are not treatable so there is a significant lack of funding specifically for the cancer that Melina and other children endure. The Foundation's proceeds will go toward research for pediatric brain tumors and to those families afflicted with this terrible disease.
In Melina's mother, Michelle's own words - "Melina is the best thing this world has seen. And if you knew her you were blessed. But her job here isn't done. Melina gave me her gifts of fight and joy. And I promise you baby girl I will fight. But I also promise you the world will know your joy."
LRS is a proud sponsor of The Melina Michelle Edenfield Foundation and we encourage you to donate to such an incredible cause. Help Melina continue to win and help her save the lives of other children. Choose joy today for Melina.
All donations can be mailed to:
The Melina Michelle Edenfield Foundation
P.O. Box 34
Canfield, OH 44406
June 29, 2020 - A Note from Bryanne:
On June 28, 1969, in Greenwich Village, in a bar called the Stonewall Inn, gay men and their trans and lesbian peers would strike a blow for equality that would change the face of America and the world. On that night, New York police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular hangout for people in the gay community.
The unrest outside the Stonewall and clashes with police lasted for six nights. Those six nights of turmoil and protest took the inner rebellion of that first night and forged it into a political sword. On the one year anniversary of the riots, the first Pride parade was held and Pride Month as we now know it was born. It took another 45 years of fighting and protesting - but finally in June of 2015, gay marriage was finally legalized.
While it’s hard to feel a sense of joy and community while so many are in pain, it’s important to remember and acknowledge that the gay rights movement also began with protests.
The current movement for equal rights, safety, and protection of black people is a fight for all black people – and that includes those who are trans, gay, lesbian, and gender non-conforming. Therefore fighting for black rights means fighting for gay rights, and vice versa. Besides sharing a history of protest, struggle, and a long battle for equality, the two movements both focus on bringing about change through activism.
Black members of the LGBTQ community, especially trans women, are disproportionally affected by violence. 26 trans people were killed in 2019, and trans women face higher rates of homelessness and incarceration. Protecting the wellbeing – and lives- of these members of the black and gay communities is a challenge we can face together.
In celebration of Pride month and in support of the Black community, LRS has made a donation to the National Black Justice Coalition who are dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. We hope that even with the challenging time we are in, that you are able to celebrate Pride and the meaning it holds for so many.
Let Love - and Progress - Prevail -
Bryanne
June 11, 2020 - A Note from Bryanne:
We remind you again that this is a time for us to self-reflect on our place in our community and take ownership of the steps we can take to fight injustice in all the ways that we can. We all have a responsibility to our employees of color, our customers of color, and our patients of color to actively work to make the world a better place for all.
Please see below information about three charities that LRS has chosen to donate to as part of our effort and commitment to racial justice and equality. We specifically targeted organizations in our LRS home city of Chicago but would love for you to share with us any organizations that are near where you live that are making a difference in your communities.
Black Lives Matter Chicago (“BLM Chicago”) is an entirely volunteer-led advocacy group fighting for racial justice in the city of Chicago, specifically working to end state violence and criminalization of Black communities. BLM Chicago runs several projects dedicated to building up and supporting communities of color. Most recently, BLM Chicago has organized protests throughout the city, fought for the immediate release of protestors from jail, provided resources to inform protestors of their legal rights, assisted in making food available in the Chicago neighborhoods most impacted by segregation, and several other essential programs.
My Block, My Hood, My City (“MBMHMC”) is a Chicago-based organization dedicated to providing underprivileged youth with experiences that they would not otherwise have, as well as to achieving racial equality by making Chicago a better home for all of its residents. In addition to setting up a number of funds, MBMHMC provides corporate and individual volunteer opportunities—and sells cool merchandise!
The organization’s most notable initiative is their commitment to Chicago’s youth, primarily through its Explorer’s Program. In the 2019-2020 school year, the Explorer’s Program served 150 high school students from under-resourced neighborhoods. By taking teens out of their neighborhoods and outside of their comfort zones, the Explorers program enables these students to experience a different perspective of the city in which they live. MBMHMC provides transportation and a meal for each participating student. In addition to the Explorer’s Program, MBMHMC provides Chicago youth with the ability to serve their community. For example, the organization’s Youth-Senior Connect initiative aims to provide part-time jobs for Chicago students and services for seniors who have limited capability to provide for their needs.
MBMHMC is also responsive to more immediate needs in the city. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, MBMHMC quickly mobilized to provide seniors with “immediate care kits” and technology to close the resource gap for Explorer students. In addition, the organization has been providing virtual programming for Chicago youth that includes online workshops, self-care advice, fitness-at-home, and virtual book clubs. Finally, MBMHMC recently set up a fund to help small businesses that were harmed from looting and rioting events in the city.
My Brother’s Keeper Alliance was launched by President Obama in 2014 to address the persistent opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color. Today, the program is an initiative of the Obama Foundation, focusing on building safe and supportive communities for boys and young men of color where they feel valued and have clear pathways to opportunity. The organization addresses the persistent social inequities, rooted in structural and institutional racism, that prevent boys and young men of color from reaching their full potential, including:
Poverty: Black, American Indian, and Hispanic children are between six and nine times more likely than white children to live in areas of concentrated poverty.
Discipline: African-American students represent 16 percent of the public school student population, but make up 42 percent of those suspended more than once, and 34 percent of students expelled.
Graduation: High school graduation rates for black and Hispanic students are 16 and 12 percentage points lower than white students, respectively. Many districts see 50% graduation rates or worse for boys of color.
Employment: A black baby boy born 25 years ago has a 1 in 2 chance of being employed today.
Crime: While only 6% of the overall population, Black males account for nearly half of all murder victims.
With Hope for the Future,
Bryanne
June 2, 2020 - A Note from Bryanne:
I am horrified by the recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, just to name a few. I stand in solidarity with our black and diverse employees, clients, and colleagues.
In our own healthcare industry, health disparities are persistent among black and other minority communities. I encourage you to read more about the longstanding health challenges that exist due to structural and systemic barriers across our industry. The Kaiser Family Foundation has a great article on this: https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-policy-watch/health-disparities-symptom-broader-social-economic-inequities/
On Blackout Tuesday, I also encourage you to take the time today to reflect on how to support the black community. One of the best things you can do to educate yourself on how to be actively anti-racism is to read. Here is a good list of where to start:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/29/books/review/antiracist-reading-list-ibram-x-kendi.html
I hope you will take this time to reflect and educate yourselves so that we can all be better.
Bryanne
Lincoln Reimbursement Solutions Sponsors Hometown Graduation Gifts
May 6, 2020 - Youngstown, Ohio
Lincoln Reimbursement Solutions announced today that they are sponsoring a graduation gift for each of the 86 seniors at East High School in Youngstown, OH. LRS Founder, Bryanne Johnson grew up in the greater-Youngstown area.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, all schools were closed in the state of Ohio for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. Unfortunately, because of this, so many high school seniors are missing out on their graduation celebrations. At East High School, where LRS' Director of Compliance, Dominique Zordich's mother, Denise Zordich, is The Dean of Students, the administration is trying to obtain enough donations to provide a gift to each graduating senior when they pick up their diploma.
Congratulations to all 2020 seniors!
Lincoln Reimbursement Solutions Sponsors Hometown Special Education Classroom
August 7, 2019 - Champion, Ohio
Lincoln Reimbursement Solutions announced today that they are sponsoring Nicole Luklan’s Multi-Age Early Intervention Classroom at Champion Elementary School in Champion, Ohio. LRS Founders, Bryanne Johnson and Danielle Pantalone, grew up in the greater-Youngstown area where Champion is located.
After spending several thousand dollars out of her own pocket, Ms. Luklan still had many supplies left to purchase for her classroom. “As school and classroom budgets shrink, the financial burden is placed on our school’s underpaid teachers. No teacher should ever have spend that much money out of pocket to ensure their students have the supplies they need to succeed and thrive. Once we heard Ms. Luklan’s story and heard what a difference she is making in the lives of her students, we knew we needed to help her,” stated Bryanne Johnson, CEO. “We are so happy to give her students tools to assist in the classroom and hope what they learn this year will help give them confidence that carries through their education journey.”
Ms. Luklan said, “I am so grateful for the support from LRS. They feel prepared and ready to participate when they have the supplies they need to succeed.”
Lincoln Reimbursement Solutions Sponsors The Nick Pantalone Memorial Golf Outing
June 8, 2019 - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Lincoln Reimbursement Solutions served as an Eagle Sponsor of the 2019 Nick Pantalone Memorial Golf Outing that benefits The Four Diamonds Fund.
The Four Diamonds Fund’s mission is to conquer childhood cancer by assisting children and their families through superior care, comprehensive support and innovative research. The Four Diamonds covers 100 percent of all medical expenses related to cancer care not covered by insurance for patients treated at Penn State Children’s Hospital.
Along with LRS’ contribution, The Nick Pantalone Memorial Golf Outing raised $13,500 for the Four Diamonds.
