CareAmerica Receives Service Award

The San Fernando Valley chapter of the Anti-Defamation League honored CareAmerica and its president with the group’s distinguished Community Service Award on Wednesday.

The annual award, given to companies and leaders who give time and energy to local charities and civic organizations, was presented to Dennis Eder at a banquet at the Warner Center Marriott hotel.

CareAmerica Health Plans was chosen to receive the award this year in recognition of its employees’ work with the American Heart Assn., American Red Cross, March of Dimes, International RETT Syndrome Assn. and American Cancer Society.

Aaron Levinson said the award honors not only the company and its employees, but also those individuals who help foster a charitable environment in the workplace.

“We like to spotlight a company [from the community] that is doing good,” Levinson said. “Usually, we find that whoever is leading that company is working to make the company do good things.

“Dennis gets right in there and participates with his employees,” he added. “He leads by example.”

Eder said it is important for a large corporation to help local groups that are trying to better their neighborhoods and help people.

“We have an obligation to our community,” he said. “We are here and we take from the community. If we don’t contribute, we’re just taking up space.”

Levinson said when the company chooses an honoree it looks not only to the number of hours and amount of money raised, but to a company’s overall philosophy on bigotry, discrimination and anti-Semitism.

“We want to shed a light on those who will stand together with the league against those who are against our ideals,” he said.