Economical Insurance donates $200,000 to Canadian charities amid COVID-19

The Choose Your Charity campaign empowers employees and brokers to nominate and select community organizations in need

WATERLOO, ON, July 21, 2020 /CNW/ - Today, Economical Insurance is granting donations to 20 community-based organizations in areas neighbouring Economical offices across the country, through an employee- and broker-driven Choose Your Charity campaign. This year, in the context of COVID-19 impacts and initiatives to curb anti-black racism, Economical is donating $200,000 to Canadian charities, its largest donation the program has seen to date.

Choose Your Charity, an annual campaign that empowers employees to nominate and vote on charities in their communities, is focused on supporting registered charities whose needs have increased or been neglected, and whose mandates have a positive community impact.

Canada's charity and non-profit sector is facing severe financial difficulties as both the demand for their services continue to rise and a lack of donations persists as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"While we are seeing our communities start to reopen cautiously, the COVID-19 pandemic continues and charitable organizations need immediate assistance," said David Bradfield, Vice-President, Marketing and Communication at Economical Insurance. "With the growing call across the country to provide more support to Canada's charity and non-profit sector, I'm proud to see the way our employees and brokers have banded together to advocate for causes they care about. This year's uniquely positioned campaign proves an overwhelming support for Canadian youth, crisis services, healthcare, and causes furthering anti-racism."

The 2020 Economical Insurance Choose Your Charity program received more than 2,400 votes. In specific locations, Economical has varied the donation amount made to each charity to accurately reflect the majority of employee and broker partner votes. This year's recipients are:

LOCATION	CHARITY	AMOUNT
Calgary	Alberta Council of Women's Shelters, works to end domestic violence in homes and communities in Calgary.	$15,000
Edmonton	Sport Central, makes resources available to assist needy children in sport across Edmonton, central and northern Alberta.	$15,000
Halifax	Nova Scotia SPCA provides community focused support for animals in the Halifax community.	$7,500
	Adsum supports, supports marginalized women and their families who experience poverty and homelessness in Halifax.	$7,500
Kitchener	The Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo and Stratford Perth, provides community focused support for animals in the Kitchener Waterloo community.	$7,500
	Women's Crisis Services of Waterloo Region, supports women and children who are experiencing domestic violence in Kitchener Waterloo.	$7,500
London	Childcan, raises awareness and funds to for families facing childhood cancer in London.	$7,500
	Ronald McDonald House Southwestern Ontario, provides welcoming home environments that give families emotional and physical comfort and support in London.	$7,500
Mississauga	The Village of Hope works to positively impact the lives of community members in the Greater Toronto Area.	$7,500
	McMaster Children's Hospital Foundation, provides vital funding to enable the best possible patient care in the Greater Toronto Area.	$7,500
Montreal	Société canadienne du cancer – Montréal, works to eradicate cancer and enhance the quality of life of those who have the disease in Montreal.	$15,000
Ottawa	Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), a global leader in pediatric health care and research.	$15,000
Toronto	SickKids Foundation, aims to advance and improve the lives of children and their families in Canada.	$7,500
	Black Youth Helpline, through a focus on education, health and community development, helps to prevent social and psychological difficulties within Toronto communities.	$6,250
	Black Legal Action Centre, delivers legal aid services to low- and no-income Black Ontarians.	$6,250
Waterloo	Nutrition for Learning, works to ensure that the children and youth living in the Waterloo community can go to school well nourished.	$15,000
Winnipeg	Children's Rehabilitation Foundation,  raises funds to improve the lives of children who access services through the Rehabilitation Centre for Children and SSCY Centre.	$15,000
Woodstock	Sakura House, a palliative care facility that provides 24-hour end-of-life care from trusted healthcare professionals.	$15,000
Vancouver	City Dream Centre, supports the underprivileged and vulnerable who live in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia.	$7,500
	BC Children's Hospital Foundation,  the only hospital in the province devoted exclusively to the care of children.	$7,500

Economical has a long history of giving back locally and remains committed to helping organizations that are aligned with its three community giving pillars — Safety & Security, Health & Wellness, Youth & Education.

"By aligning corporate values with what our employees and broker partners care about, Economical aims to positively impact community needs across Canada," said Bradfield. "During this difficult time, it's empowering to see Choose Your Charity reinforce the geographic distribution of funds to meet the local needs of community members across Canada."

About Economical Insurance

Economical Mutual Insurance Company ("Economical" or "Economical Insurance", which includes its subsidiaries where the context so requires) is a leading property and casualty insurer in Canada, with approximately $2.6 billion in annualized gross written premiums, based on the quarter ending March 31, 2020, and over $5.8 billion in assets as at March 31, 2020. Economical is a Canadian-owned and operated company that services the insurance needs of more than one million customers.

SOURCE Economical Insurance

Chloe Matcham, Specialist, Public and Media Relations, (C) 226.752.9674, [email protected]

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