Giving Frequently – our donation to CASP – the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention
Giving. Donating. Sharing. Caring. There are as many ways to describe the impetus to give as there are ways to give.
Since day one, giving has been one of the 18 ways in which we are, quite simply, different. This is because helping people will always be at the heart of what we do. And it’s the reason why giving generously, frequently and consistently is an essential part of the ALIGNED employee experience.
As a result, our social responsibility program was created at the same time ALIGNED Insurance was founded. It is, quite literally, a foundational part of our organization and a way in which we work hard to lead by example. In our communities, in our industry as well as across Canada.
Our people helping Canadian charities
We know that improving lives and advancing causes is what drives Canadian charities and non-profits. Connecting people to community, educational, environmental, food, healthcare and social programs is at the heart of what the not-for-profit sector does.
We also understand how deeply charities and non-profits resonate with people. In addition, we understand how important financial gifts are to helping a charity or non-profit keep delivering on their mission. This is why, each month, one of us selects a charity or non-profit organization that we are passionate about. And then we, as an organization, donate to that organization.
This month, Advocate Tyler Mitchell selected CASP – the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention for an ALIGNED Insurance Giving Frequently donation.
Tyler shares, “Due to the current circumstances with COVID-19, mental health challenges have significantly increased. There is increased demand for therapy and accessing support is taking much longer. I selected CASP – the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention – because of this charity’s commitment to advocacy, education and communicating with the public in the hopes of reducing suicide rates and so much more. They really strive to promote life and this is important for those who are suffering and needing encouragement right now.”
ALIGNED Insurance Advocate Tyler Mitchell
In their own words: How CASP – the Canadian Society for Suicide Prevention helps people
As a result of our commitment to Giving Frequently, a donation is being made to CASP – the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention.
In short, here is what this organization has been doing to help support Canadians:
“CASP was launched in 1985 by a group who saw the need to provide information and resources to communities to reduce the suicide rate and minimize the harmful consequences of suicidal behaviour. Like many others, CASP envisions a world in which people enjoy an optimal quality of life, are long-living, socially responsible, and optimistic about the future.
CASP’s ultimate purpose is to reduce the suicide rate and minimize the harmful consequences of suicidal behaviour. We continue to be a touchstone for everyday Canadians and members of the media who want resources, guidance and education.”1
According to their 2020 Annual Report, some recent highlights of their work include: “On World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) we hosted a virtual panel, “So you say you want to help me”, with a goal of educating and empowering the broader community who want to help those in distress, by providing them with the knowledge to do so with the presentation of people with lived experience. We had such a positive response that we had to move to a larger platform to accommodate the numbers, and the feedback was very positive.”2
And, “through our participation on the Executive and Working Groups of the National Collaborative for Suicide Prevention, we were able to remain networked with dozens of national organizations that were identifying best practices, the experiences of crisis intervention in racialized communities, gaps in service, and research priorities.
With the understanding that valid information is essential to support a national suicide prevention agenda and to provide direction to the development of new responses, CASP [also] endorsed a number of research initiatives and participated on several pan-Canadian tables and advisory committees.”3
To learn more about CASP and the work they do to advocate, communicate and educate for suicide prevention, intervention and post-vention in Canada, visit suicideprevention.ca
In conclusion – our commitment to giving
Social responsibility. It’s about more than just giving, it’s about people. We know it is our privilege to connect our clients with better business insurance. And we know that it is our social responsibility to help others in a number of ways.
Giving Frequently is one of those ways. We invite you to learn more about the organizations that ALIGNED team members have selected and we have supported over the years here.
How we are also Giving Generously…
In addition to Giving Frequently, each year, a portion of ALIGNED’s profits are donated to a registered Canadian charity. It is important to us that our clients are part of our social responsibility program. That’s why once each year, we invite each of our clients to propose a charity that is meaningful to them. And it’s why we also engage our clients in selecting the charity that receives our Giving Generously donation.
Learn more about our annual Giving Generously campaign as well as how you can become involved.
Curious about our story? Here’s what our founder Andrew Clark has to say about our accidental beginnings…
Our story started with an accident. Watch this 80-second video to see what inspired our President & CEO Andrew Clark to found ALIGNED Insurance here.
