TD Donation Provides Immediate and Critical Funding to Prairie Communities Impacted by COVID-19

The TD Community Resilience Initiative supports local organizations across the Prairies with a focus on Indigenous youth, mental health and family support centres

CALGARY, AB, Sept. 21, 2020 /CNW/ - TD Bank Group (TD) has dedicated $160,000 in donations to support local community organizations that have been impacted by COVID-19 as part of the broader TD Community Resilience Initiative. The recipient charities and non-profits in TD's Prairie Region, which comprises Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories, received immediate and critical funding for Indigenous youth, mental health initiatives and family support centres. The donations from TD will help keep these resources running throughout the pandemic and beyond, so they can continue providing shelter, education, counselling and other vital services.

A recent COVID-19 Impact Poll¹ commissioned by TD revealed that Canadian adults surveyed under the age of 34, as well as those from the Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour communities, are among the most likely to experience financial insecurity, job losses and reduced income as a result of the pandemic. The same survey also found that Canada's general population has become more financially vulnerable and less financially confident since the start of COVID-19. Together, these factors have increased the demand for support and services from Canada's community organizations. The pandemic is also forcing many charities and non-profits to rapidly pivot to an online delivery of their programs.

The focus of the TD Community Resilience Initiative is to help support those working on the front-line in diverse communities and to provide the resources community organizations need to help address the unique issues that have arisen due to the pandemic.

"Through this complex and difficult time, we've had the opportunity to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with many community organizations across our region to support COVID-19 response and recovery," stated Robert Ghazal, Senior Vice President, Prairie Region, at TD. "This work in the Prairies is crucial to the future well-being of the communities across our footprint and we've worked to identify organizations that have immediate needs, as well as those that work with communities that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic."

In the Prairie Region, donations were allocated across 40 regional organizations that align with the focus of the TD Community Resilience Initiative on Indigenous youth, mental health and family support centres, including:

• Spirit North, Edmonton – A charity focused on improving the well-being of Indigenous youth through sport and play;
• Canadian Mental Health Association Edmonton, Edmonton – An organization providing mental health advocacy, education, research, services, and support;
• Vantage Community Services, Red Deer – Counselling and housing services for low income families and those experiencing mental illness;
• Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre, Calgary – Long-term addiction counselling and programming;
• Rowan House Emergency Shelter, High River – A women's emergency shelter providing crisis intervention and long-term support and education;
• Lloydminster Interval Home, Lloydminster – A safe home for women and children in crisis providing safety, support, and education.
• Lighthouse Supported Living, Saskatoon – An innovative housing and service provider;
• Regina Transition House, Regina – Short term emergency housing and services for women and children;
• YWCA, Prince Albert – An organization offering emergency shelter, food and assistance to women and their families.
• Samaritan House, Brandon – An organization providing food, resources and shelter for women and children fleeing domestic abuse;
• Ndinawe, Winnipeg – An organization helping connect at-risk youth with shelter, culture, education and other supports.
• Yellowknife Dene First Nation, Northwest Territories – Providing internet access for remote students and isolated families.

"TD's support of Spirit North programs will contribute to supporting social connection and healing activities, while building whole population mental health and wellness during this most critical time," explains Beckie Scott, CEO and Founder of Spirit North – one of the selected organizations. "We are very grateful for their support, and for sharing our vision of health, wellness and a brighter future for all Indigenous children and youth."

This donation is part of the TD Community Resilience Initiative, which has, among other commitments, allocated $25 million (CAD) globally to help strengthen community resilience today and into the future through the TD Ready Commitment, the Bank's global corporate citizenship platform.

About the TD Ready Commitment

TD has a long-standing commitment to enriching the lives of its customers, colleagues and communities. As part of its corporate citizenship platform, the TD Ready Commitment, TD is targeting CDN $1 billion (US $775 million) in total by 2030 towards community giving in four areas critical to opening doors for a more inclusive and sustainable tomorrow – Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. Through the TD Ready Commitment, TD aspires to link its business, philanthropy and human capital to help people feel more confident - not just about their finances, but also in their ability to achieve their personal goals in a changing world. For further information, visit td.com/tdreadycommitment.

About TD Bank Group

The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group ("TD" or the "Bank"). TD is the sixth largest bank in North America by branches and serves over 26 million customers in three key businesses operating in a number of locations in financial centres around the globe: Canadian Retail, including TD Canada Trust, TD Auto Finance Canada, TD Wealth (Canada), TD Direct Investing, and TD Insurance; U.S. Retail, including TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®, TD Auto Finance U.S., TD Wealth (U.S.), and an investment in TD Ameritrade; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities. TD also ranks among the world's leading online financial services firms, with more than 14 million active online and mobile customers. TD had CDN$1.7 trillion in assets on July 31, 2020. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol "TD" on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.

SOURCE TD Bank Prairie Region

Media Contact, Ian McColl, [email protected], 403-808-3594