Benefits provider Green Shield Canada (GSC) has announced that it is committing $500,000 to aid communities across Canada that have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The contribution will be split to support various relief efforts around the country. A good part will go to emergency relief funds launched by Community Foundations and other partners in Windsor, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Halifax, Moncton, London, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Kitchener Waterloo, and Algoma. These funds will help ensure food security, support vulnerable populations, prevent seniors’ isolation, increase mental health services, and provide support to frontline healthcare workers.
Another portion of the donation will be provided as in-kind support for “innovative” community efforts, such as the COVID-19 Community Response Coalition in Windsor-Essex, a release said. Green Shield Canada’s call centre agents have been helping the coalition run an emergency food hotline.
The remaining part of the contribution will go into sponsoring “Stronger Minds,” a free digital program by digital therapy company BEACON. Launched April 06, 2020, Stronger Minds provides mental health support to all Canadians, free of charge.
“GSC remains committed to helping our communities manage through the challenges presented by COVID-19, and will continue to work with our community partners to determine where additional support may be needed,” said GSC president and CEO Zahid Salman. “Through the collective generosity of organizations and individuals, we hope that people in all communities across Canada receive the help they need during these difficult times.”
