• Largest corporate commitment in United Way Greater Toronto's history
• Gift will ensure that young people and their families have the necessary skills and resources they need to support their success.  

TORONTO, Feb. 4, 2019 /CNW/ - Today, United Way Greater Toronto announced a $15-million investment from Scotiabank to help ensure that young people in the GTA have the opportunities and resources they need to have a bright future. The funds – the largest corporate commitment in United Way Greater Toronto's history – will be invested in a network of agencies across Peel, Toronto and York that support more than 245,000 young people and their families, each year.

Scotiabank's $15-million investment over five years will focus on supporting young people in each of the critical stages of development:

• In the crucial early years of life, community programming strengthens the bonds between parent and child for positive outcomes.
• In the middle years, agencies make connection between family, school and community: breakfast groups, after-school homework and recreation clubs, summer programming and overnight camps. 
• As they move into adulthood, community programs give high-schoolers the skills to navigate in a new world: media literacy, tools for resilience and mental health supports.

Why is this important?

A growing opportunity gap in the GTA is making it harder than ever for young people to thrive. While the GTA is the economic engine of Canada, it is also the child poverty capital of Canada. Beyond the personal impact, this unignorable issue hurts our society more broadly. Investing in young people today prepares them to take on the opportunities of tomorrow. United Way community investments ensure that no one is left behind – from infancy to independence.

About the 2018 Campaign

The Greater Toronto Fundraising campaign is the most ambitious local United Way fundraising campaign in the world. This year, Scotiabank CEO Brian Porter served as the Chair of the campaign and the overall results will be announced on February 7, 2019.

Quotes:

Brian Porter President and Chief Executive Officer, Scotiabank; United Way Greater Toronto Campaign Chair: At Scotiabank, giving back to the communities in which we live and work is an important part of our culture, and we are very proud to have United Way as one of our longstanding charitable partners. We are confident that our investment will make a real and lasting difference for young people, and their families, across the GTA.

Daniele Zanotti, United Way Greater Toronto President and CEO: Young people have the world ahead of them. To succeed, they need their community behind them. By connecting young people with the power of community, this investment from Scotiabank is bending the opportunity curve and ensuring that everyone has equal access to opportunity. Ultimately, that's how we move forward as a region and ensure the GTA's future success.

About United Way: United Way Greater Toronto is dedicated to fighting local poverty in all its forms, working with communities in Peel, Toronto, and York Region. Together with our partners, we create opportunities for a better life for everyone across our region. As the largest non-governmental funder of social services in our region, United Way Greater Toronto mobilizes people and resources to support a network of agencies that help people when and where they need it most. Join United Way's #UprisingofCare and help us build a region where poverty has no power. unitedwaygt.org

About Scotiabank: At Scotiabank, we aim to support organizations that are committed to helping young people reach their infinite potential. Young people are our future leaders and Scotiabank's goal is to help ensure that they have the necessary skills and resources they need to support their success. Together with our employees, the Bank supports causes at a grassroots level. Recognized as a leader for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2018, Scotiabank contributed more than $80 million to help our communities around the world.

Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in the Americas. We are dedicated to helping our more than 25 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 97,000 employees and assets of $998 billion (as at October 31, 2018), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

SOURCE Scotiabank