Westland Insurance has entered into a two-year partnership agreement with the charity organization Adsum for Women and Children.
Based in Halifax, Adsum for Women and Children offers shelter, housing, and support services to vulnerable women and children.
As part of the partnership between the brokerage and the non-profit, Westland has committed to providing Adsum with a $50,000 grant, to be given out over the course of two years. The funding will be used to support the construction, enhancement, and development of the “Sunflower” housing development project. The development involves the construction of 25 homes for those experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.
Westland is also supporting Adsum’s other campaign, “Coats for Kids,” which is focused on ensuring vulnerable children and youth have access to warm winter clothing.
Adsum currently shelters some 120 people each day and houses more than 300 people over a year. The organization also supports hundreds more with their basic needs.
“This year, Westland Insurance established the Amplifying Communities initiative to continue a longstanding tradition of commitment to the people and communities we are proud to serve,” said Westland Insurance senior vice president of marketing & customer experience Cari Watson. “Adsum epitomizes the kind of partnership we are seeking because they play such a critical role in supporting those who are most vulnerable to homelessness and unstable housing.”
As part of the partnership, Westland will be dedicating four days of volunteer service for its staff to assist in the painting and building efforts at the Sunflower project.
“Women’s homelessness is directly related to their disproportionate experience of poverty, systemic discrimination, gender inequality, and violence,” said Adsum fund development and communications officer Kathy McNab.
“It is truly unfortunate that our supports are so desperately needed and so often at or near capacity. However, we are also thankful for Westland Insurance extending its hand in partnership which enables us to increase our system of support to this vulnerable population,” McNab added.
In a previous interview with Insurance Business, Westland Insurance chief people officer Keri Fraser explained that the brokerage has increased its efforts around community giving as it continues to organically expand across Canada through mergers and acquisitions. Fraser said that community giving has “always been very important to Westland.”
“We started an initiative called Westland Amplifying Communities, where we’ve committed to spending a million dollars per year, and we’re focusing specifically on equity and inclusion,” the chief people officer said.
