Skills for Change is thrilled to receive the 2020 Canada Volunteer Awards as a Social Innovator in Ontario region
Skills for Change receives $1 million (CDN) grant through the 2022 TD Ready Challenge
The 2022 TD Ready Challenge awarded Skills for Change for their solution designed to assist people and communities who may be disproportionately affected by climate change and the transition to a low-carbon economy
Toronto, ON, February 28, 2023 – Skills for Change is pleased to be one of 10 recipients under the 2022 TD Ready Challenge presented by TD Bank Group (TD).
Skills for Change is pleased to launch our Youth Climate Action Initiative (YCAI), funded by TD, through the 2022 TD Ready Challenge. This program was developed to promote environmentalism and community involvement and focuses on leadership, health and wellness, social justice, advocacy, and climate action in neighbourhoods across Toronto. The YCAI encourages youth between the ages 16-29 living in the Greater Toronto Area to take charge and be leaders in creating climate action programs at the local level. It aims to empower racialized and/or newcomer youth to make a positive impact on their communities and the environment.
Through this program, youth will be able to increase access to healthy living conditions and green spaces, help communities adapt to environmental challenges, teach communities about their contributions to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, inspire local leadership, promote the net zero economy field as an exciting career option, show the importance of communities in protecting the planet, plant trees and create green spaces to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, and work towards building rapport on climate and community initiatives.
The TD Ready Challenge is part of the Bank’s longstanding commitment to helping support organizations that are working to create a more inclusive and sustainable future. Each year, the TD Ready Challenge invites eligible organizations to submit applications that offer solutions to a problem statement that is connected to one or more of the four drivers of the TD Ready Commitment: Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. In previous years, the TD Ready Challenge problem statement has focused on helping drive more equitable health outcomes, income stability, and addressing pandemic-related learning loss.
As both the private and public sectors take steps to mitigate the effects of climate change and the transition to a low-carbon economy, certain groups may be affected in different ways, including:
- Racialized and Indigenous communities
- Seniors, youth, and children
- Newcomers
- Low-income communities
- People with pre-existing health conditions and/or disabilities
- Communities that have traditionally been economically dependent on carbon-intensive industries
In total, TD awarded 10 grants of $1 million each (in CDN for Canadian organizations or USD for US organizations) as part of the 2022 TD Ready Challenge, to organizations like Skills for Change that are working towards balancing inequities, engage the unengaged, and serve the underserved.
“Promoting a more inclusive and sustainable future is core to our purpose as an organization and we are focused on helping our customers, colleagues and communities thrive in a rapidly changing world, ” said Janice Farrell Jones, Senior Vice President, Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship, TD Bank Group. “Through this year’s TD Ready Challenge, we are helping to enable organizations with promising new ideas to address the transition to a low-carbon economy and support those communities that are most affected.”
“TD’s generous funding through the Ready Commitment to support our Youth Climate Action Initiative for underserved youth across Toronto is a critical investment in the future of our planet,” notes CEO Surranna Sandy. “By empowering young people to take action on climate change, we are not only creating a more sustainable world and local sustainable communities, but also nurturing the next generation of leaders who will drive positive change. We are incredibly grateful for TD’s support and commitment to building a brighter, greener future for us all.”
Josephine Agueci, Supervisor of Sustainable Communities at Skills for Change states “The Sustainable Communities team here at Skills for Change is beyond grateful for the opportunity to build this Youth Climate Action Initiative with the generous support of the TD Ready Commitment. Our program focuses on “Building Skills for Sustainable Change” and providing experiential learning opportunities for transformative sustainability education. We aim to empower youth to meaningfully engage with their communities in pursuit of a more sustainable and equitable society – both today and into the future.”
A full list of TD Ready Challenge grant recipients as well as more information about the Program can be found at www.td.com/thereadychallenge.
To learn more about the Youth Climate Action Initiative and how you can get involved, click on our Youth Climate Action Initiative webpage or contact Josephine Agueci, Supervisor, Sustainable Communities jagueci@skillsforchange.org.
About Skills for Change
Founded in 1982, Skills for Change is a leading non-profit organization serving immigrants and refugees in Canada. Our mission is to build welcoming and equitable communities. We offer over 25 programs and services and annually serve more than 16,000 immigrants and refugees.
Media Contact: Sampada Kukade, VP of Corporate Communications and Stakeholder Engagement, skukade@skillsforchange.org or 416-658-3101, ext. 234.
About The TD Ready Commitment
TD has a long-standing commitment to enriching the lives of its customers, colleagues and communities. As part of its corporate citizenship platform, the TD Ready Commitment, TD is targeting CDN $1 billion (U.S. $775 million) in total by 2030 towards community giving in four areas critical to help open doors for a more inclusive and sustainable tomorrow – Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. Through the TD Ready Commitment, TD aspires to link its business, philanthropy and human capital to help people feel more confident – not just about their finances, but also in their ability to achieve their personal goals in a changing world. For further information, visit td.com/tdreadycommitment.
About TD Bank Group
The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group (“TD” or the “Bank”). TD is the sixth largest bank in North America by assets and serves over 27 million customers in four key businesses operating in a number of locations in financial centres around the globe: Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, including TD Canada Trust and TD Auto Finance Canada; U.S. Retail, including TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, TD Auto Finance U.S., TD Wealth (U.S.), and an investment in The Charles Schwab Corporation; Wealth Management and Insurance, including TD Wealth (Canada), TD Direct Investing, and TD Insurance; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities. TD also ranks among the world’s leading online financial services firms, with more than 15 million active online and mobile customers. TD had $1.9 trillion in assets on October 31, 2022. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol “TD” on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.
Related posts
