Community
"Educating Aboriginal young people is critical to future success." – Clint Davis
Enhancing opportunities for Aboriginal communities
TD is committed to being an employer and bank of choice for Aboriginal people and their communities.
As long-time supporters, TD was an important partner in helping establish First Nations Bank of Canada 17 years ago. Today, First Nations Bank is over 80% Aboriginal owned, providing a range of banking products and services to its Aboriginal customer base.
This past year, TD demonstrated its ongoing commitment to Aboriginal people on a number of fronts.
TD Economics, as part of its continuing research and reporting of issues important to Aboriginal communities, published three reports in 2013 focused on literacy, education and employment and the changing demographics of the Aboriginal population in Canada.
TD partnered on key community initiatives, including sponsorship of the Assembly of First Nations 34th Annual General Assembly in Whitehorse; the 20th Métis Nation of Ontario Annual General Assembly in Ottawa; and the second Queen's Conference on Indigenous Issues in Post-Secondary Education. TD also made a major gift to the Ottawa Inuit Children's Centre and supported numerous scholarship opportunities and recruiting efforts.
TD was proud to establish the Aboriginal Banking Team in the Commercial Bank in 2013, with Clint Davis in the newly created position of Vice-President, Aboriginal Banking.
"Educating Aboriginal young people is critical to future success," said Clint. "Together with organizations such as Frontier College, Indspire and the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Canada, we are focused on improving literacy, keeping students engaged and increasing high school graduation rates, which we know are critical to better overall outcomes."
The most recent National Household Survey indicates that Aboriginal youth are the fastest growing demographic group in Canada. This underlines the importance of education and represents a tremendous opportunity for Aboriginal people as well as a critical source of future talent and innovation for the Canadian economy.
"We believe enriching our community is both a privilege and a responsibility, and are pleased to support such a great cause." – Kevin Gillen
Rebuilding lives with the help of TD
Improving the quality and availability of affordable housing is one of the areas of focus for the TD Charitable Foundation, the giving arm of TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank® – especially when it comes to getting those without access to safe, affordable housing back on their feet.
Finding shelter or transitional housing can be difficult, but with the right support from the community, and a little help from the TD Charitable Foundation, many are able to start rebuilding their lives.
At the age of 41, Valorie was left homeless. A registered nurse with a master's degree, she became gravely ill and was unable to continue working. After losing her home to foreclosure, Valorie and her teenage son found themselves without a place to live.
One year later, Valorie has a new apartment, new job, and a new outlook on life. This was made possible with support from Broward Partnership for the Homeless in Florida, a non-profit organization that provides shelter and advocacy services to those in need.
Nine years ago, the TD Charitable Foundation introduced its signature giving program to support affordable housing initiatives from Maine to Florida. The 'Housing for Everyone' grant competition awarded $2.5 million to recipients in 2013 and nearly $15 million since its inception. The Broward Partnership Inc. received a $100,000 grant from TD, and they are putting the dollars to good use. The organization is renovating its facility to accommodate an additional 30 beds for homeless women and single mothers with children.
"We are very grateful to the TD Charitable Foundation for helping us grow our facility to assist more single mothers," said Michael Long, Chief Development Officer for the Broward Partnership Inc. "We've had success with helping people like Valorie take control of their lives, rather than allowing life to control them."
Kevin Gillen, Head of Retail Strategy and Solutions for TD Bank, couldn't agree more. "TD is pleased to provide this $100,000 grant to the Broward Partnership to help provide women and children in the area with safe housing and the support they need to get back on their feet," he said. "We believe enriching our community is both a privilege and a responsibility, and are pleased to support such a great cause."
"I'm so proud of the many employees who went above and beyond to help their local communities during this time of need." – Monique Bateman
More than just a bank in times of need
In June of 2013, Southern Alberta – its land and residents – were pushed to the limit. The combination of severe, unseasonal rainfall and already saturated land allowed water levels to rise higher than the province had seen in more than 100 years. The overflowing Bow and Elbow rivers left 26 communities, approximately 120,000 people, under immediate evacuation – and when the time came to go home, many found they had no home left.
Donated dollars were coming in, but local shelters and community centres struggled to keep shelves full of supplies for those hardest hit. TD Bank Group was one of the first corporate responders to roll up their sleeves and act.
TD crews were assembled and immediately dispersed to purchase and deliver much needed supplies, food rations and water to the community. More than 20 individuals piled into 10 cargo vans, ready to help anyone in distress.
The crews made stops at branches, TD Insurance mobile units, community centres, and more often than not, offered assistance to individuals on the street who needed support.
Focusing on the areas where devastation was most severe, TD crews spent more than 140 hours in the field, distributing more than 157,000 supplies to 135,300 Albertans, plus many more through community centre deliveries.
"As residents of Alberta, including many TD employees and customers, dealt with the impacts of massive flooding and evacuations, TD mobilized quickly to lend a helping hand to those in need both on the ground and in our branches," said Monique Bateman, Senior Vice President, TD Bank Group. "I'm so proud of the many employees who went above and beyond to help their local communities during this time of need."
During this difficult time, TD crews witnessed many selfless and inspiring acts of humanity that exemplified the power of the Albertan community, a community that TD is proud to support.