WINDSOR, Ontario, June 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To mark Green Shield Canada’s (GSC) 60th anniversary – and to celebrate our 60-year history of social responsibility and charitable giving – GSC is donating a total of $6 million dollars to priority projects across six Canadian communities, beginning with Hamilton, Windsor Essex region, Calgary and the Atlantic region. That’s “Six 4 Six” – GSC’s new community granting initiative.
In keeping with GSC’s mission, “Six 4 Six” is funding community programs aimed at improving health care for all Canadians. It represents a new collaborative model that’s all about community partnerships. In the big picture, GSC is partnering with the Hamilton Community Foundation to facilitate the design, implementation, and evaluation of the entire “Six 4 Six” initiative. And at the local level – in each of the communities that receive funding – GSC’s Community Granting Program is partnering with local community foundations to determine priority projects.
“Canadian communities face many complex challenges that can seem insurmountable,” says Sheree Meredith, Hamilton Community Foundation’s vice-president of philanthropic services. “At the same time, they hold many strengths which can be uncovered, nurtured, and amplified. Locally we will work as community foundations do – to identify needs and priorities based on research and stakeholder input and then grant to initiatives that will have the greatest impact. We are excited to partner with an organization that has the integrity and history of GSC, and to have a role in a truly innovative and leading strategy. Connected across the country together, we can tell the bigger story of the difference GSC is making.”
“With the goal of immediate and long-term impact, we’ve identified two areas of focus for ‘Six 4 Six’ funding,” explains Sherry Peister, GSC’s board chair. “The first area is oral health as we work toward bridging the gap in available and affordable dental care and ensuring access to dental services for underinsured and uninsured Canadians. And the second area is mental health as GSC continues to advocate for decreased reliance on medications and increased availability of a broader spectrum of support to help address mental health issues.”
Examples of priority programs in oral health and mental health that “Six 4 Six” supports include local initiatives that create health education or management programs for individuals, and those that aim to advance or reform existing health care systems. “The GSC ‘Six 4 Six’ is well aligned with the community needs and priorities within the City of Windsor as well as the communities across Essex County,” says Lisa Kolody, executive director, WindsorEssex Community Foundation. “The WindsorEssex Community Foundation is thrilled to have been selected to partner in this important initiative and is looking forward to working with GSC in building community capacity locally and nationally.”
Overall, “Six 4 Six” marks 60 years of leadership in corporate philanthropy. Steve Bradie, GSC’s CEO and president explains, “Back in 1957, the GSC founders identified the need for affordable pre-paid health benefits and met this need with Canada’s first pre-paid drug plan. Ever since, we've made ‘giving back’ a concept we live and breathe by. Now looking ahead, ‘Six 4 Six’ reinforces GSC’s ongoing commitment to helping those most in need.”
For more information:
Media Department
Green Shield Canada
1.800.268.6613 ext. 3409
media@greenshield.ca
About Green Shield Canada
As Canada’s only national not-for-profit health and dental benefits specialist, GSC offers group and individual health and dental benefits programs and administration services. But our reason for being is the enhancement of the common good. We seek out innovative ways to improve access to better health for Canadians. From coast-to-coast, our service delivery includes drug, dental, extended health care, vision, hospital and travel benefits for groups, as well as programs with a focus on individuals. Supported by unique claim management strategies, advanced technology and exceptional customer service, we create customized programs for over two million plan participants nation-wide. greenshield.ca
About Hamilton Community Foundation
Hamilton Community Foundation has been working to drive positive change in Hamilton since 1954. We do this by helping people give in a way that has meaning to them and impact in the community, providing grants and financing to charitable organizations and initiatives and bringing people together to address priority issues that affect Hamiltonians. hamiltoncommunityfoundation.ca
About WindsorEssex Community Foundation
The WindsorEssex Community Foundation, originally founded in 1983 as Heritage Windsor, is a perpetual community trust for philanthropic purposes. It exists to manage donors’ legacy funds and make grants to support local community programs. Through grant making activities, the WECF is able to establish partnerships to assist a broad range of community organizations. wecf.ca