Pursuit Center receives Blue Impact Grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
Pursuit Center receives Blue ImpactSM Grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
Award will strengthen employment services program
Houston, TX (August 8, 2025) – Pursuit Center announced today it received a $15,000 Blue ImpactSM grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, an award reflecting BCBSTX's dedication to community-based organizations that prioritize the well-being of children and families.
The grant recognizes the crucial role of local organizations in fostering positive change, tackling underlying factors that influence health, including socio-economic challenges, and promoting economic opportunities.
The grant will support Pursuit Center’s Employment Services Program for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), autism, and similar conditions. Serving both youth and adults, the program provides personalized career planning, pre-employment training, job placement assistance, and on-the-job coaching. The goal is to help participants build confidence, gain independence, and succeed in long-term, meaningful employment. Through extended training and support beyond what state-funded programs typically cover, Pursuit Center helps ensure clients who need additional assistance are not turned away.
“We are deeply grateful to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas for their support of our mission to create meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with IDD,” said Charles Njuguna, President and CEO of Pursuit Center. “This grant enables us to provide the extra training and personalized support that many of the individuals we serve need to overcome barriers and succeed in the workforce. Everyone deserves a chance to contribute, grow, and thrive, and with this partnership, we can help make that a reality for more people in our community.”
BCBSTX has awarded more than $27 million in grants to community organizations statewide since 2011, touching the lives of millions of Texas children and families.
“At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, we recognize the importance social and economic factors have on health and wellness, and these grants help pave the way for healthier futures for children and families across Texas,” said Patty Escoe, Vice President of BCBSTX Plan Operations. “We recently celebrated 95 years of serving Texans. We remain committed to the belief that through contributing support and outreach, addressing health disparities and striving for more equitable care, we will create a world in which we all thrive.”
Pursuit Center provides employment services to about 75 individuals each month and nearly 370 annually. The program partners with school districts, referral agencies, and employers across a variety of industries to connect clients with inclusive job opportunities. After clients are placed, the program continues to provide coaching and employer engagement to help ensure long-term job retention and advancement.
For more information about Pursuit Center’s employment services, visit www.pursuitcenter.org.
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About Pursuit Center
For more than 75 years, Pursuit Center has championed the potential in every individual with intellectual and developmental disabilities across greater Houston. Our organization creates pathways to meaningful, dignified lives filled with possibility. Thousands of lives transformed stand as testament to our comprehensive approach, through employment support, health and wellness resources, community living options, and specialized educational and recreational programming. At Pursuit Center, we provide the tools and opportunities that empower all individuals to develop their unique abilities, foster independence, and fully participate in community life.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
Celebrating 95 years of helping improve the health of Texans, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas — the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas — is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with more than 168,000 physicians and health care practitioners, and 550 hospitals to serve nearly eight million members in all 254 counties. BCBSTX is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation (which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Texas, Illinois, Montana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico). Health Care Service Corporation is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
