Giving back has never been more important than in the past year, when people and businesses across Canada have faced a plethora of challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Accordingly, the 2020 Insurance Business Awards recognized insurance companies who stood out for their community-focused efforts over the past year, and it was Canada Life that took home the CNA Canada Award for Excellence in Philanthropy & Community Service. Recently, Debbie Down, director of community relations for Canada Life, told Insurance Business why the award was so meaningful for the company, and what its philanthropic plans look like for the rest of 2021.
“As we all know, 2020 was an incredibly challenging year, so to be recognized for our community efforts at this particular time when Canadians truly needed our help the most was very meaningful to us,” said Down. “This recognition means that despite the challenging circumstances of 2020, we stayed true to our company purpose and values.”
Canada Life’s philanthropic work over the past year ranged from sending funding for supplies and personal protective equipment for frontline healthcare workers to amplifying support for food banks from coast to coast. Additionally, the company lent its support to hundreds of other charitable initiatives, which is work that it does each and every year. Down broke down some of the specific efforts that Canada Life focused on in 2020.
“We continued our long-standing support for food banks across Canada and hosted our first ever virtual food drive. Our employees raised the equivalent of 100,000 meals to feed families across the country,” she listed. “We’re a strong supporter of United Way through our corporate donations and our employee workplace campaigns. Each year, we help to make a difference for thousands of individuals and families where we live and work. Our campaign went virtual last year, and we collectively donated over $3.6 million to United Way.”
Canada Life also supported national initiatives, including Volunteer Canada, Imagine Canada, Teach for Canada, Connected North, Crisis Services Canada, and others, as well as a variety of local initiatives, like hospital campaigns and community-based programs that aim to make a strong social impact and target diverse, underrepresented, and marginalized or at-risk populations, according to Down.
As for how Canada Life is approaching its 2021 community efforts, the leader told Insurance Business that this work starts by recognizing that the issues facing Canadians and the communities where they live and work can be complex and interconnected. As a result, said Down, “Our approach looks at all the ways we can support communities to help them reach their potential every day. Through our community investment program, we’re working to improve the financial, physical, and mental well-being of Canadians at national, regional, and local levels.”
Moreover, due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on how businesses operate and people live their lives, Canada Life’s approach this year will be to continue to find virtual ways to engage its employees through community initiatives, campaigns, and volunteerism.
Amid the pandemic, 2020 likewise shined a light on diversity and inclusion, and the systemic racism present in many institutions and across societies.
In turn, “As an organization, we reaffirmed our commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion in our workplace and in our communities,” said Down. “Joining 200 other Canadian companies, we signed on to the Black North Initiative as a first step towards positive change, and we acknowledge that much more work still needs to be done. Additionally, we remain committed to advancing the process of Canadian reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.”
All of this work couldn’t have been done without Canada Life employees and leaders devoting time and effort to bring community efforts to fruition, which is why Down paid tribute to the people behind the company that put philanthropic plans into action.
“Our accomplishments are due to the strength and resiliency of our people,” said Down. “Our leaders, employees, and advisors played a strong role in meeting our customers’ needs and supporting our communities, so to all of them a big ‘thank you’. We look forward to continuing to deliver on the promises we make to our customers, Canadians, and the communities we serve.”
