MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Aug. 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In response to COVID-19 and in support of area hospitals hardest hit by the pandemic, the Longo’s Family Charitable Foundation has generously donated $150,000 toward Mackenzie Health, Trillium Health Partners (THP) and William Osler Health System (Osler). A leader in philanthropy, the Longo family is committed to supporting health care in the communities where they operate. Longo’s has a long history of giving back to local charities and are especially committed to supporting frontline health care workers as they continue the fight against COVID-19.
To inspire community contributions, the Longo’s Family Charitable Foundation will match all offers received from donors up to $150,000. This matching program will ensure that we can amplify the impact of all donations made. Each hospital will allocate the matching offer up to $50,000 toward mental health supports for frontline hospital staff working at these three hospitals serving the West GTA, one of the hardest hit regions in the province.
In communities with a high concentration of COVID-19 cases, hospital staff and physicians have been under immense pressure with thousands of patients requiring testing and treatment. Throughout the pandemic, health care workers have continued to provide exemplary care, working long hours over an extended period of time.
“We are incredibly proud to be supporting these three hospitals,” says Rosanne Longo, Longo’s Spokesperson and Chair, Longo’s Family Charitable Foundation. “Nowhere have the impacts of the pandemic been felt more strongly than in health care. Our foundation is committed to investing in the people and communities that need it most and, for us, that means supporting frontline hospital workers who have worked tirelessly to keep our communities safe and healthy. We know it’s been a struggle and we are here for you.”
Mackenzie Health will use the gift to initiate a recovery resilience training program for its frontline staff, including workshops to deal with compassion fatigue and build emotional resilience. “Mackenzie Health was so proud to step up in the fight against COVID-19 when our community needed it most. In February, we initially opened the new Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital exclusively to support the province’s pandemic response, and between both our hospitals, Mackenzie Health’s frontline teams have cared for the highest proportion of COVID-19 patients in Ontario,” said Krista Finlay, President and CEO of Mackenzie Health Foundation. “But we know the pandemic has taken a toll on our staff, and we’re immensely grateful to the Longo family for this generous and much-needed support.”
At THP, this gift will support mental health and well-being for frontline workers. Caroline Riseboro, President and CEO of THP Foundation, commented, “When COVID-19 first entered our community in 2020, the Longo family stepped up and provided support to our pandemic response efforts and now they are providing additional mental health supports to the courageous hospital staff. We are beyond appreciative of this generosity and commitment to health care in our community and are thrilled to count Longo’s as a true partner and friend.”
William Osler Health System Foundation (Osler Foundation) has launched a Compassion Fund with a goal of raising $1 million to help support the most urgent wellness and respite needs of Osler’s staff, physicians and volunteers. “It has been, and continues to be, an immensely difficult year for our physicians, staff and volunteers. In addition to managing exceptional patient volumes due to COVID-19 and treating patients who are sicker than ever before, our frontline workers stepped into the role of family members to support patients — they’ve held the hands of people in their last moments when loved ones couldn’t be there,” said Ken Mayhew, President and CEO, Osler Foundation. “We are incredibly grateful to Longo’s for recognizing the mental wellness needs of our frontline workers and their commitment to supporting them in this way.”
To make a donation as part of the Longo’s Family Charitable Foundation 2X match initiative to support frontline hospital staff in your area, visit the hospital site of your choice at:
Mackenzie Health Foundation: https://www.mackenziehealth.ca/foundation
Trillium Health Partners Foundation: https://trilliumgiving.ca/
William Osler Health System Foundation: https://oslerfoundation.org
About Mackenzie Health
Mackenzie Health is a dynamic regional health care provider. Mackenzie Health includes Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital and Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, each with a full-service emergency department, core services such as surgery, medicine and critical care along with specialized programs. Its community-based locations and services continue to provide additional support to western York Region. In March 2017, the organization received its second consecutive award of Accreditation with Exemplary Standing from Accreditation Canada for its commitment to safety and quality patient care. This is the highest rating a Canadian health care provider can receive. Guided by a vision to create a world-class health experience, Mackenzie Health has an unrelenting focus on the patient and is dedicated to patient needs now and in the future. Mackenzie Health is proud to serve western York Region, one of the fastest growing and most diverse communities in Canada with more than 550,000 residents.
About Mackenzie Health Foundation
Mackenzie Health Foundation is proud to be spearheading the Ultimate campaign — the largest fundraising drive ever led by a community hospital in Canada. The campaign has already raised more than $200 million of its $250-million goal that has helped to build and equip the new Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital — Canada’s first smart hospital — and enhance care at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital. Established in 1977, Mackenzie Health Foundation has raised funds for capital projects, medical equipment, advanced technology and educational opportunities at Mackenzie Health.
About Trillium Health Partners
Trillium Health Partners is the largest community-based hospital system in Ontario. Comprised of Credit Valley Hospital, Mississauga Hospital and Queensway Health Centre, Trillium Health Partners serves the growing and diverse populations of Mississauga, West Toronto and surrounding communities. Trillium Health Partners is a teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto and is an associate member of the Toronto Academic Health Science Network.
About Trillium Health Foundation
Trillium Health Partners Foundation is dedicated to raising the critical funds needed to address the highest-priority needs of Trillium Health Partners, the largest community-based hospital system in Ontario
About WILLIAM OSLER HEALTH SYSTEM and FOUNDATION
William Osler Health System is a hospital system, which includes Brampton Civic Hospital, Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health and Wellness and Etobicoke General Hospital, and serves 1.3 million residents of Brampton, Etobicoke and surrounding communities within the Central West region. Osler’s emergency departments are among the busiest in Canada and its Mental Health and Addictions program is one of the largest in Ontario. William Osler Health System Foundation seeks to create a healthier community through giving by inspiring its communities to invest in exceptional health care close to home.
About Longo’s Family Charitable Foundation
Established in 1998, the vision of the Longo’s Family Charitable Foundation is to contribute to a world of strong, healthy families; one where children and youth are empowered to reach their full potential. This mission is inspired by the Longo’s love of family and passion for food and is achieved by investing in healthcare, development, and leadership initiatives. With a focus on emerging research in immunotherapy, mental health and providing funding to help build camp infrastructure, the Foundation helps fulfil the family purpose to bring opportunity, inspiration, and hope to people’s lives and make the world a better place.
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Kate Johnny
Blue Door Agency
kate@bluedoor.agency
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