Community

TD creates opportunities for black students in Nova Scotia

How do you inspire young people to contemplate a university education when they don't have the resources or expectations of attending?

Promoting access to post-secondary schooling, especially for underrepresented groups, is a major focus for TD. In 2011, TD pledged $1 million over 10 years to Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS to create the TD Black Student Opportunity Grant. The goal is to help high school students from the province's black community pursue a post-secondary education.

What makes the program unique is an outreach component designed to ensure maximum impact. Students who show academic potential early on are identified – through sources such as teachers, guidance counsellors, ministers and social workers – and provided with personal support and incentives to pursue higher education.

Current Dalhousie students like Cinera States mentor Nova Scotia students from grades seven through 12. "They're very keen but many don't have the resources to go to university," says Cinera. "They may not be able to picture themselves there, which is why I'm here. I'm just like them and I'm at university."

"The TD Black Student Opportunity Grant is a remarkable gift of hope for students who are developing the motivation and academic skills to go on to study at Dalhousie University," says Bonnie Neuman, the school's Vice-President of Student Services. "It's a life-changing award that keeps on giving across generations."

‘WOW!’ing youth with practical financial skills

Financial literacy is essential and when these skills are taught early, young people can learn to make informed decisions and grow up to be financially responsible adults. TD is involved with many projects across North America and the U.K. that help people of all ages better understand crucial money matters.

Take the TD Bank WOW! Zone. It's a free, interactive program created by TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank^®, that teaches kids about budgeting, saving and the importance of building good financial habits.

We work with local schools and youth organizations in the U.S. to facilitate the program. Approximately 2,100 trained TD Bank instructors volunteer an average of 400 hours to teach over 8,000 students each month. More than 900,000 students have benefited since the program's inception 22 years ago.

Russ Hamilton, a teacher at Gilbert H. Hood Middle School in Derry, New Hampshire, hosted the TD Bank WOW! Zone within his grade six class in 2011. "This program was an excellent introduction to personal finance," he says. In addition to the classroom component, students, parents and educators can access games, learning activities and lesson plans by visiting tdbank.com/wowzone.

The TD Bank WOW! Zone reflects our strong and growing commitment to bringing financial education to families and communities.

Volunteers plant 28,000 trees during TD Tree Days

TD Tree Days is a volunteer tree-planting initiative that we created in response to employees' interest in greening their communities and playing a hands-on role to help the environment.

The results have been overwhelming. Nearly 5,000 volunteers planted more than 28,000 trees at 91 locations during the second annual TD Tree Days, up 40 per cent over the previous year's campaign.

"TD Tree Days plantings will tangibly improve the quality of life in these neighborhoods, helping to create a cleaner, greener, and healthier environment for community members," says Carrie Gallagher, Executive Director of the Alliance for Community Trees (ACTrees), based in College Park, Maryland.

The program began in Canada and in 2011, we expanded it to the U.S. and the U.K. with plantings in Philadelphia, Boston and Jacksonville, and Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham. TD worked with expert partners like Tree Canada, l’Association forestière des deux rives and ACTrees to identify urban and rural locations in need of more trees.

TD Branch Manager Maxime Leclerc was a site leader at the tree-planting event in Brossard, QC. "The environment provides a shared purpose for all, so it brings me a sense of pride to see the willingness of volunteers who support the cause," he says. "It's great that TD gets involved in community events that humanize the bank, bring to life the values of its employees and demonstrate our desire to be leaders."

A passion for reading

A lifelong love of reading starts with the first great book you ever read. And encouraging that love is one of our great passions at TD. Research shows that reading skills are paramount to success during school years and beyond.

That's why TD set up the TD Grade One Book Giveaway. Last year, TD and the Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) teamed up for the 12th consecutive year to distribute more than half a million copies of Gifts, written by Jo Ellen Bogart and illustrated by Barbara Reid, to Canada's grade one students.

Fully funded by TD, the program has provided over five million books since 2000 to school-aged children in the country. Each year, a different book is distributed in both English and French. "Thanks to TD's support and dedication to children's literacy, we hope that Gifts encourages the imaginations of young children across Canada and teaches them about the joy of reading," says Charlotte Teeple, Executive Director of CCBC.

Karen Foster, librarian at the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation Public Library, adds: "Those giveaway books were like gold to us. They brought children and families through the doors of our small libraries - and still do."

TD supports a number of literacy initiatives across our footprint. Approximately 600,000 children took part in TD Summer Reading Club programs at libraries across North America last year. TD donated $100,000 to First Book, a not-for-profit dedicated to providing books for children in underserved communities in Canada and the U.S. We're also a long time supporter of the Right to Read program in the U.K., where TD employees volunteer at schools in Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham to help children improve reading and social skills.

Sustaining affordable housing through energy efficiency

Preservation of Affordable Housing Inc. (POAH) is a national leader in furthering and preserving low-income housing for American families. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the non-profit organization rescues and rehabilitates "at-risk" rental housing developments, many in danger of losing their affordability. The importance of POAH's work has never been greater, as the housing and jobs crisis in the U.S. continues to intensify the issues of access to and maintenance of inexpensive shelter.

TD is proud to support POAH and other affordable housing developers in the U.S. through our annual Housing for Everyone grants competition. Since the program's inception six years ago, the TD Charitable Foundation has provided nearly $10 million to non-profits who are leading the way in protecting and enhancing affordable housing units.

As a 2011 grant winner, POAH plans to use its $100,000 award to deploy a cutting-edge solar hot air system at Salem Heights Apartments, one of the non-profit's properties that represents 15 per cent of the affordable housing available to the Salem, Massachusetts community. The technology will increase energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect residents from future volatility in energy prices. Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2011, POAH has a long track record of integrating environmental considerations into its initiatives.

“Much of our affordable housing inventory is aging, and it’s cheaper and greener to update what already exists than to tear it down and build anew," says Thomas Davis, POAH's Manager of Strategic Operations. "TD’s support helps POAH test and prove new tools for preserving existing affordable housing resources in ways that are sustainable financially, for the environment and for the community.”

POAH was also a 2010 grant recipient, using the funds to install another renewable energy innovation – solar thermal technology for heating water – at its affordable housing complex in rural New Hampshire.

TD responds to a community in crisis

The tornado that struck Goderich, ON lasted only minutes, yet caused widespread destruction to the uniquely historic town. In fact, the 2011 storm damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses, and touched the lives of people throughout the tight-knit community.

In the aftermath of the disaster, our employees sprang into action to help the battered town of 8,000 residents. Employees rushed to purchase clean-up supplies and walked up and down streets to give the items to citizens in need.

"It was a very difficult time for our community," says Teresa Doney, Branch Manager, TD Canada Trust, Goderich, who set up a temporary tent location in a parking lot after her branch was severely damaged.

"We wanted people to know that we were still here and that we cared. What started as a place to assist customers with their banking quickly became a gathering spot for them to share their stories. We were strengthened by how TD stood behind our staff and customers to help out anyway possible.”

The Purser family was among those who found comfort from the TD Canada Trust team. Upon hearing how this family of three lost everything in the storm, TD employees rallied to provide them with gift cards to buy much-needed essentials.

"My family and I cannot begin to thank you enough for the amazing support you have shown us since we lost our home," wrote Sarah Purser, in a letter to the branch. "I still shed tears of sincere gratitude."

Through the fundraising efforts of TD employees across the country, $100,000 was raised for the town and TD also contributed $20,000 for both relief efforts and to replace and replant uprooted or damaged trees.