EDMONTON and CALGARY – The Telus Edmonton Community Board and the company’s Calgary Community Board each announced donations to local charities this morning to help them during the Covid-19 pandemic which will amount to $1 million in 2020.
The Edmonton board it is immediately directing $165,000 in grants to be given out and is committing another $335,000 this year for a total of $500,000 to be granted in 2020. The Calgary board is committing to $140,000 in grants right now and will add another $360,000 for a total of $500,000 to be given out in 2020.
“As charities across the country work to rapidly pivot their programs, these funds from the Telus Edmonton Community Board are crucial to enable delivery of resources to those who need it most,” said Anne McLellan, chair of the company’s Edmonton Community Board, in a press release.
The 12 Edmonton organizations receiving emergency funding to support Covid relief are:
- Boys & Girls Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton & Area Society – food security and supports for vulnerable youth
- Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers – youth and family services accessibility programming
- Gordon Russell’s Crystal Kids Youth Centre – food and services support for at-risk youth
- YMCA of Northern Alberta – providing virtual education outreach supports for at-risk youth
- Basically Babies – layette outreach program for vulnerable mothers
- The Arthritis Society – virtual program supports delivery for youth
- Arts on the Ave Edmonton Society – food security assistance for Indigenous and newcomer families
- Edmonton Space Sciences Foundation – online science programming
- Getting Ready for Inclusion Today (The GRIT Program) Society of Edmonton – specialized services support for youth with complex disabilities
- The Good Samaritan Society – specialized therapy delivery for isolated severely disabled youth
- Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Northern Alberta – emergency needs relief fund
- Sport Central Association – virtual application outreach to low income families
In Calgary, the nine grassroots organizations receiving emergency funding are:
- Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary – food security program and assistance to at risk youth
- Calgary Distress Centre – provides 24/7 support for distressed Calgarians;including youth
- Calgary Drop-In Centre – overnight shelter to safely house 3,000 homeless adults
- Calgary Food Bank – deploying a drive-thru food process to align with safety guidelines
- Children’s Cottage Society – a crisis nursery for at-risk families in distress
- CUPS – provides free healthcare for 8,400 vulnerable citizens at inner-city medical clinic
- Inn from the Cold – Calgary’s only family homeless shelter, billeting families through crisis
- Native Counselling Services Alberta – offers local, no-cost services for Indigenous peoples
- The Kerby Centre – a grocery delivery and prescription refill program for isolated seniors
Since 2005, Telus’ 13 Canadian community boards have given $75 million to local, grassroots charities and on March 18, the Telus Friendly Future Foundation announced a $10 million commitment to help purchase new medical technology and equipment, as well as increase support for food security, reach out to isolated seniors, and help with virtual education programs and mental health initiatives.
Please click here for more about how Telus is helping during the Covid-19 pandemic.
