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.