Weekly News Recap: March 20, 2020

Weekly News Recap: March 20, 2020

Eric Prangell is the organizer of the volunteer Facebook group YYC COVID-19 Volunteers. Prangell was photographed in Calgary on Sunday, March 15, 2020. Gavin Young/Postmedia

The year is less than three months old, but we have every reason to believe that COVID-19 will be one of the most significant events of the decade — if not beyond. -- Axios

A note to our readers

The W.H.O. declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11. That day, Alberta had 39 cases of COVID-19. Today, we have 146. It the last eight days days, we have seen nations in Europe and in North America close their borders, all large-scale events have cancelled, millions of school children and university students are finishing their school year at home, and major world cities are or are about to be on lockdown. Most of the world is working from home. This week's recap is focused on what the world is focused on: COVID-19. If it feels like we are preoccupied...we are. It is at times like these when we need to especially look out for each other and to take care of ourselves. ViTreo will continue to curate and share what we feel are the very best, most important, and most relevant stories for you and our sector. ViTreo wishes all of you a safe journey through the next weeks and months.

Advisories to the sector

  • COVID-19 ORGANIZATIONAL CRISIS PREPARATION BE PREPARED FOR DISRUPTIONS AND MISTAKES (ViTreo) "We are in a crisis, for which most of us were unprepared. It’s too late to do anything about that now. But we can learn from it and be prepared for what comes next. Each organization will feel the impact differently. And we must be ready to manage those situations as they arise. Supplies may run out; employees can become ill leaving your organization too shorthanded to operate; someone, somewhere in your organization may make a mistake. Or an external event (caused by the pandemic) will have a dramatic impact on your nonprofit. Everyone is under higher levels of stress, dealing with the impact of COVID-19 not just in the workplace, but at home, with extended family and friends. The pandemic’s reach is being felt by many on multiple levels." 3/18/20

  • FUNDRAISING IN THE TIME OF COVID-19 WHAT TO DO NOW! (ViTreo) "We are in the midst of an unprecedented event that has and will affect all of us in many ways [...]. Over the past week, the impacts of COVID-19 have been dramatic and direct. It is clear that the global economy will undergo significant volatility for some time [...]. The sector needs to quickly implement strategies to support our donors and stabilize fundraising revenue. ViTreo is and will continue to assess the situation. We are curating information, ideas, and input from many sources. This is an ongoing process and there is so much out there. We will publish the very best of these over our various communications and social media feeds." 3/17/20

This week's highlights

Last week's most popular stories

Inspiration

  • Dr. Deena Hinshaw fan club (Facebook) ALBERTA STORY There is a movement afoot to grow this group to 5,000 by the end of this weekend. I hope we do. 3/19/20

  • Medical students form army of 'caremongers' during coronavirus crisis (CBC) CANADIAN STORY I heart this. "These are scary times for many Canadians, but medical students from coast to coast are hoping to make a difference with a little bit of what they've dubbed 'caremongering.' The 8,000-member Canadian Federation of Medical Students — which includes students at the University of Alberta — has been doing everything from babysitting children of health-care workers to manning the phones at 811 call centres, said association president Victor Do." 3/18/20

  • 'Spread love': Calgary acts of kindness during COVID-19 pandemic (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY This is a terrific group. We are members and...as of this writing, there are 12,300 members! Join us! "Calgarians often speak about how the community came together following the 2013 flood, and it’s no different with the novel coronavirus pandemic. It took just hours for an online Facebook group, called YYC COVID-19 Volunteers, to attract hundreds of Calgarians dedicated to helping community members affected by COVID-19." 3/19/20

  • MICRO-KINDNESS (Nine Lions) CALGARY STORY A lovely and uplifting post by my friend Kara Exner. "We can all think of grander gestures of kindness: fundraising for an important cause, volunteering at the food bank, collecting donations for a homeless shelter, etc. Our communities need these changemakers, people who are driven to take action to make a positive difference in the world." 3/13/20

  • Don’t forget: disasters and crises bring out the best in people (The Correspondent) Amen to this. "Disasters and crises bring out the best in us. This simple fact is confirmed by more solid evidence than almost any other scientific insight, but we often forget. Now more than ever, in the middle of a pandemic, it’s crucial to remember this." 3/19/20

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Resources that matter

  • Fundraising in the Time of COVID-19 (ViTreo) "We have developed and researched articles and online resources to help non-profits with their fundraising during this economic and public health crises. ViTreo’s associates have a breadth of experience in fundraising and communications during a time of crisis including multiple recessions, the Fort McMurray Wild Fire, the Calgary Flood, and now the COVID-19 public health crisis." 3/19/20

  • ENMAX customers granted payment flexibility under COVID-19 relief program (CTV) CALGARY STORY Thanks Enmax! "According to the utility company, the program will increase payment flexibility via installment plans and payment date extensions, and will also suspend collection-related activities on customers' ENMAX and city municipal services." 3/16/20

  • Shaw opens WiFi hotspots up to the public for free in response to COVID-19 pandemic (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Brilliant! Thanks Shaw! "Calgary-based Shaw Communications announced [...] that it will open up its more than 100,000 WiFi hotspots across Canada to the public to help people stay connected during the coronavirus pandemic. 'Shaw customer or not, we know that it is important to stay connected, especially in times like this,' the company said in a release. 'This access will be especially important in helping emergency services and first responders stay connected as they remain steadfast in supporting our communities.' The company also gave its TV customers access to free channels, including news and children's TV to help families stay informed and entertained if they are self-isolating or quarantined." 3/14/20

  • U-Haul Is Offering A Month Of Free Storage To Students Affected By COVID-19 Closures (Narcity) This is terrific. Thanks U-Haul! "COVID-19 is causing shutdowns all over. That includes a number of Canadian universities that have switched to online courses. Coronavirus school closures have displaced students, but U-Haul is offering to help the situation. The famous storage and moving company is now offering one free month of storage to students who have been affected by their schools closing due to concerns about COVID-19." 3/12/20

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Humour

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COVID-19

  • Thinking the unthinkable: how Canada and the U.S. agreed on border restrictions in a hurry (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "[Deputy] Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland called U.S. Vice President Mike Pence with a proposal: could Canada and the United States agree to ban all non-essential travel between the two countries? The idea of a Canadian official pitching new border restrictions with the United States would have seemed profoundly strange until very recently. For most of the last 19 years — at least since the United States briefly closed its border in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 — Canada's focus has been on keeping the flow of people and goods between the two nations as free as possible." 3/19/20

  • Musk the Virus Skeptic Makes Reluctant Ventilator Offer After GM (Bloomberg) "Elon Musk joined General Motors Co. in offering to manufacture hospital ventilators amid the coronavirus outbreak, an effort that would echo Detroit’s contribution to Allied powers during World War II. Responding to a tweet from a Tesla Inc. customer, Musk said [...] his companies will make ventilators if there is a shortage, though he questioned in another post whether hospitals were running out of them. GM CEO Mary Barra floated the idea earlier, according to top White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow." 3/18/20

  • Alberta looks to retired doctors to shore up response to COVID-19 (CBC) ALBERTA STORY "Several hundred Alberta doctors could be brought out of retirement to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of ongoing concerns that the health-care system could be overwhelmed as more Albertans are diagnosed with coronavirus, work has begun to reinstate health-care workers who had left the profession. Doctors and nurses are already offering to return to the front lines as the number of cases continues to climb." 3/18/20

  • Government expanding COVID-19 testing capacity and purchase of medical equipment, says federal health minister (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "Health Minister Patty Hajdu says the federal government is undertaking a massive effort to expand testing capacity and secure medical equipment so that health-care providers have the supplies they need to handle the rising number of COVID-19 cases. The effort includes approving new testing methods and purchasing additional test kits, ventilators and personal protective equipment, such as masks and gowns." 3/18/20

  • Why CBC News is making changes to local programming during the COVID-19 crisis (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "These are truly unprecedented times. And CBC News is taking unprecedented steps to make sure we continue to be your trusted source for news and information. We take this responsibility seriously, but to do so has meant some changes to the way we work. Like all Canadians, the amazing journalists across this country who bring you the news are also coping with this pandemic as individuals." 3/18/20

  • 'This is a serious moment in our history': Alberta Premier Jason Kenney declares public health emergency (CBC) ALBERTA STORY "Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has declared a state of public health emergency as the province works to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. 'This declaration is meant to empower authorities under the Public Health Act to effectively manage the COVID response,' Kenney said." 3/17/20

  • Coronavirus: Louis Vuitton owner to start making hand sanitiser (BBC) "The luxury goods maker says it wants to help tackle a nationwide shortage of the anti-viral products across France. 'These gels will be delivered free of charge to the health authorities' [...]. France has now seen 120 deaths from the coronavirus as the pandemic spreads. 'LVMH will use the production lines of its perfume and cosmetic brands... to produce large quantities of hydroalcoholic gels [...]' LVMH said in a statement." 3/16/20

  • Calgary airport will remain open to international flights but predicts big financial hit (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "[Calgary] will be one of only four airports in Canada that will continue to accept international flights, along with Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, but it's predicting a significant hit to its budget." 3/16/20

  • COVID-19: Alberta cancels all school classes, closes licensed daycares (Edmonton Journal) ALBERTA STORY "Alberta is cancelling all school classes and closing daycares to contain the spread of COVID-19 across the province, Premier Jason Kenney said [recently]. The number of confirmed cases in Alberta has risen by 17 — three in Edmonton and 14 in Calgary, bringing the total to 56, Kenney said at an update with Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw." 3/15/20

  • WHO, UN Foundation and partners launch first-of-its-kind COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund (Pattayamail) Facebook is matching up to $10 million. Donate today. I did. "A new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Solidarity Response Fund will raise money from a wide range of donors to support the work of the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners to help countries respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund, the first-of-its-kind, enables private individuals, corporations and institutions anywhere in the world to come together to directly contribute to global response efforts, and has been created by the United Nations Foundation and the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation, together with WHO." 3/15/20

  • Calgary declares state of local emergency in response to COVID-19 spread (CBC) CALGARY STORY "The City of Calgary has declared a state of local emergency in response to the growing coronavirus pandemic — an extremely rare move that was last done during catastrophic flooding in the summer of 2013. The move means city-operated recreation centres, pools and arenas, some partner facilities like YMCAs, and Calgary Public Library branches have all been ordered to close until further notice. The move came just hours after the Alberta government announced all K-12 schools, preschools and post-secondary institutes would cancel classes indefinitely and child-care centres would be closed." 3/15/20

  • CBC/Radio-Canada and TV distributors make 24-hour news channels widely available (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "As Canadians face the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and the constantly changing situation, CBC/Radio-Canada and the country's TV distributors want to ensure more Canadians have access to the latest trusted information. We are collaborating to make the public broadcaster's 24-hour news channels, CBC News Network and ICI RDI, more widely available. CBC News Network is now available to all subscribers on Bell TV, Shaw, Cogeco and Eastlink. Rogers and TELUS Optik TV have also made News Network available to all their TV subscribers." 3/14/20

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News

  • Bill Flanagan has been named the 14th president and vice-chancellor of the University of Alberta (UAlberta) EDMONTON STORY Congrats! Welcome home Dr. Flanagan. "After an extensive international search and careful consideration of many outstanding candidates, we are proud to select Bill Flanagan—an outstanding academic leader and innovator—to guide that trajectory and position the University of Alberta to excel. Born and raised in Alberta, Bill Flanagan joins the University of Alberta from Queen’s University, where he served as the dean of law for 14 years from 2005 to 2019. He holds a BA (English and Philosophy) from Carleton University, a JD from the University of Toronto, a DEA in International Economic Law from Université Paris I-Sorbonne, and an LLM from Columbia University. His scholarly work spans property law, corporate law and international trade law." 3/19/20

  • Food Banks Canada seeking cash donations to deal with COVID-19 (RD News Now) CANADIAN STORY "Officials with Food Banks Canada say many food banks across the network have food in stock to cover just 10 to 14 days for existing food bank clients, let alone the anticipated rise in demand that will result from the economic impact of coronavirus. As a result, Food Banks Canada is urging Canadians to make monetary donations at foodbankscanada.ca, with the goal of raising $150 million in donations." 3/18/20

  • Pembina Pipeline cuts capital spending plan by up to $1.1B (CBC) CALGARY STORY "Pembina Pipeline Corp. is cutting its capital spending plan for this year by up to $1.1 billion due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the plunge in oil prices. The company now expects its revised 2020 capital budget to be between $1.2 billion and $1.4 billion. That's compared with an earlier plan to spend $2.3 billion. Pembina says it's deferring the Phase VII, VIII and IX expansions of the Peace Pipeline and its Empress co-generation facility." 3/18/20

  • TSX loses another 8% as Canadian oil price falls to lowest level on record (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Ugh. "The price of a barrel of Canadian oilsands crude oil fell to its lowest level ever on Wednesday and the Toronto Stock Exchange sold off heavily as a result. Western Canadian Select (WCS) was changing hands at one point as low as $7.63 US per barrel, down $4.60 from Tuesday's level. The U.S. benchmark known as West Texas Intermediate (WTI) also fell to below $22 a barrel, a level it has not hit since 2003." 3/18/20

  • UCalgary and mayor join forces to make Calgary's downtown a more welcoming place for everyone (Municipal Information Network) CALGARY STORY "Mayor Naheed Nenshi wants Calgary to be a vibrant and welcoming place for all, residents and tourists alike, and making that dream a reality is the driving force behind the 9 Block initiative. [The] mayor joined key stakeholders including Dr. Ed McCauley, UCalgary president and vice-chancellor; Thom Mahler, City of Calgary director of urban strategy; and John Brown, dean of the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (SAPL). Together they launched the 9 Block initiative an intentional effort to address safety, vibrancy, and social inclusion in the nine city blocks containing City Hall, Olympic Plaza, Bow Valley College, the Castell Building and the Central Library." 3/16/20

  • Arts Commons project takes next step with $160M in funding (CBC) CALGARY STORY "The City of Calgary says it will hire a design company for a planned expansion of Arts Commons after it secured $160 million of the $240 million required for the project. City council approved a financial strategy last year for four major projects — a new arena to replace the Saddledome; a $500-million addition to the BMO Centre; a $412-million expansion to Arts Commons, and a new fieldhouse at Foothills Athletic Park. The Arts Commons expansion will be built at the west end of the block that includes Olympic Plaza." 3/13/20

  • University of Alberta to eliminate up to 1,000 positions in face of funding cuts (CBC) EDMONTON STORY "The University of Alberta has eliminated 400 positions and could cut another 600 in the coming year in face of government funding reductions, says president David Turpin. 'Over the last four months we have received a reduction in government funding in the order of $110 million,' Turpin told reporters [...] at a news conference. 'That is resulting in major changes here.'" 3/13/20

  • Contemporary Calgary sells out premier fundraiser LOOK2020 and raises $500,000 in net proceeds to support exhibitions and public programs at the gallery (GlobalNewsWire) CALGARY STORY "[The] Centennial Planetarium once again opened its doors to Canada's cultural revolutionaries for LOOK, Contemporary Calgary's premier annual fundraiser. Known for being one of the most influential and vibrant art galas in the country, the Centennial Planetarium was turned into a whimsical and immersive intersection of art, fashion, music and media." 3/12/20

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First Peoples of Canada

  • First Nations welcome $305 million COVID-19 fund, wait for details (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "The Trudeau government announced today it's spending $305 million to help Indigenous communities deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, but details of how the funds will be distributed and spent will depend on events in the coming days, weeks and months." 3/18/20

  • Siksika First Nation, Blood Tribe declare states of local emergency as COVID-19 spreads in southern Alberta (CBC) SIKSIKA STORY "Siksika First Nation declared a state of local emergency [...] as a precautionary measure in response to the spread of COVID-19 in Alberta. There are no cases of COVID-19 on the First Nation. The declaration was done as a precaution given the rising number of cases in the southern part of the province, Chief Ouray Crowfoot said in a video posted to the First Nation's website." 3/16/20

  • Indigenous Art Mural to be created in HUB entrance (Gateway) EDMONTON STORY "The new mural will be created along the walls of HUB’s main entrance. The project, which aims to be finished this summer, was initiated by the Council of Residence Associations (CORA) this past October. The mural will feature Indigenous artists and be based around the vision of current Indigenous University of Alberta students." 3/18/20

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Books to read

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Seven life and career hacks -- one for each day of the week

  1. Maintaining mental health and mindfulness during the COVID-19 pandemic (CBC) CANADIAN CONTENT Sleep, exercise, and get outside if you can. Mental health is particularly important at this time; we need to take care of ourselves. 3/18/20

  2. Here are 10 ESPN documentaries for sports fans to pass time during coronavirus quarantine | How to watch 30-for-30, ‘Peyton’s Places,’ ‘Detail’ with Kobe Bryant (NJ.com) With no sports to watch, many sports fans are climbing the walls. This is for you. You're welcome. 3/16/20

  3. How to home-school your kids like a pro during coronavirus quarantine (New York Post) This is for the parents out there. (That includes me.) 3/16/20

  4. How to support children's mental health during the coronavirus pandemic (CBC) CANADIAN CONTENT This is definitely coming home to roost in our house. Good read. 3/15/20

  5. Trying to ward off the coronavirus? What products help and what may be a waste of money (CBC) Face masks? Nyet. Toilet paper? Nope. Purell and soap? Definitely! 3/14/20

  6. #QuarantineAndChill: Streaming, podcasts, virtual tours are your best companions during this pandemic (CBC) Streaming binges to virtual museum tours. It's all here. 3/14/20

  7. Metropolitan Opera to Offer Up ‘Nightly Met Opera Streams’ (Operawire) This makes my heart sing. Opera washes away my day-to-day cares. Thanks to Denise Summers and others for sharing this link. (I am listening to La Traviata right now). 3/13/20

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Uncommon knowledge

  • Secret life of cougars captured by Sooke man's wildlife cameras (CBC) SOOKE STORY "When Paul Homer was putting up a wildlife camera on his Sooke, B.C., property years ago, he captured images of a mouse. After that, he was hooked. Since then he's installed 13 cameras all over his 36-acre (14.5-hectare) property. He has surreptitiously captured intimate images of everything from a house cat to a huffing bear." 3/14/20

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Opinion

  • Philanthropy Needs To Trust Nonprofits Now More Than Ever (Trust Based Philanthropy Project) "COVID-19 is undoubtedly the largest global crisis we have faced in our generation, and we don’t yet know what the full ripple effects of this pandemic will be. While local and state leadership mandate the necessary declarations and policies to keep our communities stable and safe, philanthropic leadership too can step up in support of our nonprofit partners. In times of crisis, trust and collaboration are essential. We urge the philanthropic community to consider how a trust-based approach can be a particularly effective way to support nonprofit partners in concrete, meaningful ways." 3/17/20

  • Philanthropy Has a Duty to Respond Quickly to the COVID-19 Outbreak. Here’s How We Can Do It (Inside Philanthropy) "As COVID-19 fears rise and communities face growing health and economic concerns, local nonprofits are stepping up to fill the gaps in our social safety net while trying to protect our families and communities. Public schools are closing from Washington to Arkansas, and children are losing school meals, safe space, and basic medical care—putting an even bigger strain on the limited childcare and healthcare infrastructure in the U.S. Philanthropy must adapt quickly to this crisis. Our grantees need us to respond immediately in this time of global health concern, financial strain, and increased uncertainty. As an industry, we aren’t known to be nimble, but there are six things we can all do right now while getting ready for a long-term financial downturn that threatens the sector. While most of these suggestions require no additional funding beyond what is already in grantmaking budgets, where it does require additional money, we should not balk at increasing funds to grantees at this critical moment." 3/16/20

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Philanthropic personalities

  • Bill Gates leaves Microsoft board (CNBC) "Microsoft announced on Friday that Bill Gates is leaving the board, effective Friday. Gates is also stepping down from his position on the board of Berkshire Hathaway." 3/13/20

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Philanthropic controversy

  • Prominent athletes slam IOC for risking athletes' health (CBC) CANADIAN CONTENT "Canada's Dick Pound, the International Olympic Committee's longest serving member, says it isn't ignoring the need to contemplate contingencies or even a cancellation or postponement of this summer's Tokyo Olympics, but it isn't prepared to get 'swept up in the immediacy of events going on as we speak.' 3/17/20

  • David Sidoo's name to be removed from UBC field (CBC) VANCOUVER STORY "David Sidoo has asked that his name be removed from David Sidoo Field at UBC, according to a university spokesman. UBC senior director of media relations Kirk Heinrich said the request has been accepted and an expedited process is now underway to make it happen. The Vancouver businessman and former UBC and B.C. Lions football player pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud [...] in Boston federal court." 3/13/20

  • Calgary artists question city's public art strategy (CBC) CALGARY STORY "Calgary artists and art groups say there needs to be more engagement surrounding city council's decision to bring in an outside operator for its public art program. The public art program was frozen in 2017 after several controversial public art projects, such as the art installation known as Bowfort Towers or the sculpture dubbed Travelling Light." 3/11/20

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Trends and shifts

  • The data-driven pandemic: Information sharing with COVID-19 is 'unprecedented' (CBC) CANADIAN CONTENT "In the early days of Canada's COVID-19 outbreak, Elisa Baniassad was able to trace how new cases were spreading and plan her outings accordingly. 'When I plotted how the virus was being transmitted, I saw that it was from close contact. People weren't getting it out on the street, they were getting it at home from their family members,' said the computer science instructor at the University of British Columbia. Baniassad is one of a handful of people making use of the reams of data being collected and published daily around the world to help governments and citizens plan and be informed of the latest situation. Her diagrams are published on ViriHealth.com, a website started by someone in Toronto to keep track of the information released by the provinces. Welcome to humanity's first data-driven pandemic." 3/17/20

  • As Disasters Go, Coronavirus Impact on Philanthropy Unprecedented and ‘Crazy’ (Chronicle of Philanthropy) "Our colleagues over at Candid have identified over $1 billion — with a 'b' — in investment with coronavirus. There’s a number of huge South Korean companies that are really looking to stem the tide of coronavirus. When you think about what philanthropy has done historically, those are indeed unprecedented corporate contributions to this ongoing event. Even when you think about Hurricane Harvey, we were only able to capture, again with Candid’s assistance, somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 million in corporate contributions. So for this to be over $1 billion in assistance, for us, is pretty unbelievable." 3/13/20

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Large gifts

  • RBC commits $2-million in support of COVID-19 community response efforts (Yahoo Finance) CANADIAN STORY Nice move RBC. "Donations will be directed to communities dealing with the repercussions of the global health challenges posed by COVID-19 and will be used for programs serving at-risk populations, addressing food insecurity, scaling mental well-being support access as well as providing other necessary services that are vital during challenging times like these. As a first step, RBC will be donating funds to respond to community needs in Canada, the U.S. and globally to charitable partners including Food Banks Canada; Feeding America and The World Health Organization's Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund." 3/18/20

  • Coronavirus update: Facebook announces $100M grant, $20M donation, and $1000 bonus for every employee (Silicon Canals) "These new plans are aimed at helping small local businesses who might struggle financially after being closed down. Additionally, the company is matching $20 million in donations to support COVID-19 relief efforts and if a new report is to be believed, its employees could be receiving a $1,000 bonus to work from home, or remotely, during the coronavirus outbreak." 3/18/20

  • Moncler Makes €10 Million EUR Donation to Fight Coronavirus in Italy (HypeBeast) "Italy is currently one of the hardest-hit countries in the world by the coronavirus, and many have already contributed towards the fight against the outspread. Prada recently donated healthcare equipment to three of Milan’s hospitals, while fashion designer Giorgio Armani pledged €1.25 million EUR to various Italian authorities as well as various hospitals across the nation. Now following suit is Moncler, which is donating €10 million EUR to help the worst-off region of Lombardy. The money will go towards the building of a new hospital designed specifically to treat coronavirus patients in the area." 3/18/20

  • JPMorgan Chase Makes $50 Million Philanthropic Investment to Help Address Immediate and Long-Term Impacts of COVID-19 (Financial Post) "'We are mobilizing the firm’s resources to support customers, employees and communities – especially the most vulnerable – in this time of crisis,' said Peter Scher, Head of Corporate Responsibility and Chairman of the Mid-Atlantic region. 'We are making immediate investments to help those most affected by humanitarian challenges and looking into sustainable and innovative solutions to help small businesses and underserved communities recover when the crisis subsides.'" 3/18/20

  • Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively donate $1M to Canadian, U.S. food banks (Global News) CANADIAN STORY I heart this. "Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have announced that they’ve donated $1 million to two food drive organizations, Food Banks Canada and Feeding America. 'I think we can all agree, COVID-19 is an a–hole,' Reynolds wrote on Twitter. 'If you can help, visit, FeedingAmerica.org and/or FoodBanksCanada.ca.'" 3/17/20

  • After Coronavirus Outbreak at Biogen Meeting, Company Foundation Commits $10M for Relief (NBC) "Biogen, the biotech company behind a cluster of coronavirus cases in Massachusetts and several other U.S. states, is committing $10 million to relief efforts in the commonwealth and elsewhere through its foundation [...]. One hundred coronavirus cases in Massachusetts have been tied to a late-February Biogen meeting at a Boston hotel [...]. That accounts for just over half of the commonwealth's 197 coronavirus cases." 3/16/20

  • Italian Bishops Conference donates ten million Euro to Caritas Italy (Vatican News) "The Italian Bishops Conference said in a statement the 10 million Euro donation will be distributed to the 220 diocesan Caritas throughout Italy. The donation will be used to identify the most urgent needs, giving priority to forms of economic support for families already in situations of hardship. This includes the purchase of basic necessities for families and people in difficulty, support for lonely elderly and frail people, and the maintenance of services for people in situations of extreme poverty, such as canteens with take-away services or sheltered dormitories." 3/14/20

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Welcome to our recap of the week's news, articles, and information of note. ViTreo Group Inc. provides this information for the benefit of our clients, associates, staff, partners, and stakeholders. The content is collected and curated by ViTreo partner Vincent Duckworth. If you would like to submit a link for consideration, please send an email to info@vitreogroup.ca

The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by ViTreo Group Inc. of the linked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein. ViTreo Group does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. All links are provided with the intent of meeting the mission of the ViTreo Group Inc. Please let us know about existing external links which you believe are inappropriate.

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