In line with World Health Day, the donation will address health inequities, to build a fairer, healthier world for everyone
TORONTO, April 7, 2021 /CNW/ - Today marks World Health Day. As the pressures of the pandemic continue, this year's theme – to build a fairer, healthier world for everyone – takes on new meaning. In response, Sun Life is announcing an additional $1 million to help ongoing global COVID-19 relief efforts and address health inequities.
This support is in addition to Sun Life's $1 million donation announced in March 2020. Those funds focused on health care, elder care and addressing food insecurity needs in markets where Sun Life operates: Asia, Canada and the United States.
"Sun Life remains focused on assisting our communities, particularly those most impacted by the pandemic," said Kevin Strain, President, Sun Life. "COVID-19 has deepened inequities around the world, and our donation directly supports organizations helping those who need it the most. We believe supporting the needs and well-being of the most vulnerable is key to a healthy and sustainable future for our communities."
Helping Canadians live healthier lives - support for COVID-19
In Canada, a portion of the donation will go toward supporting public health units. This funding will assist with the vaccine rollout in various communities, with an emphasis on seniors and clinics supporting Indigenous populations. The remainder will help organizations address the mental health and food insecurity crisis.
Sun Life has taken actionable steps over the past year to promote the safety and well-being of Clients, employees, advisors and our communities. These include offering relevant and timely COVID-19 resources, many of which are available on Lumino Health, Canada's largest, free digital health network. Sun Life helped Clients with credit counselling and debt management support through a partnership with the Credit Counselling Society, a non-profit firm. And, Sun Life donated more than $13.7 million to community organizations globally in 2020, including donating more than $4.5 million towards diabetes awareness, prevention and care, increasing our overall total to $38 million since 2012.
As outlined in Sun Life's 2020 Sustainability Report, actions in support of COVID-19 relief efforts directly align with our Sustainability Plan and purpose.
About Sun Life
Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing insurance, wealth and asset management solutions to individual and corporate Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of December 31, 2020, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1,247 billion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.
Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.
Note to editors: All figures in Canadian dollars
SOURCE Sun Life Financial Inc.
Media Relations Contact: Kevin Koudys, Senior Communications Specialist, Corporate Communications, 416-570-2670, [email protected]; Investor Relations Contact: Leigh Chalmers, Senior Vice-President, Head of Corporate Finance & Capital Management, 647-256-8201, [email protected]
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