Buy local, give local

What We Do Matters

For most of us, 2020 has been a struggle. It’s forced us to live outside our comfort zone, adapt new habits and behaviours and assume a higher level of consciousness for the people around us.

In many ways, it’s brought a sense of community back to the forefront. It’s made us appreciate the little things like the togetherness of family, and when restrictions allow, enjoying dinner at one of our favourite local restaurants.

The effect of the pandemic extends well beyond the financial and routine disruptions many of us have had to endure. The toll this pandemic is taking on our mental health may not be something we fully understand for some time yet, even as we settle into a second wave. But let’s not forget that we’re still dealing with the anxiety, uncertainty and stress of the unknown every single day. 

As a business owner, I believe it’s important that we not only support fellow small businesses by shopping and buying local, but we also need to look at how we can give local and support the not-for-profit organizations that look out for the people in our communities that need their support.

These noble missions have seen donations decrease given the broader struggle facing families and businesses, and as a result they are hard pressed to sustain the support that so many counted on even before the pandemic showed up.

What We Do Next Matters

On behalf of the team at Excess Underwriting, we have made donations to the following not-for-profits:

Stella’s Place is for young adults in Toronto, aged 16 to 29, who are experiencing mental health challenges to get the support they need.  Stella’s Place includes peer supports, clinical, online, employment, wellness, and recovery services. Toronto based, they provide support to more than 500 young adults and their families each year.

Covenant House supports vulnerable youth who are homeless, trafficked or at risk, and serves more than 300 young people each day. They provide life-changing care with unconditional love and respect.

Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank supplies food to nearly 200 food programs across Toronto with a fleet of five trucks. They have been stepping up efforts to tackle the issues of lost food and greenhouse gas emissions, starting at the farm level. Since launching its Farm to Food Bank program, Daily Bread has rescued hundreds of thousands of pounds of fresh, “perfectly imperfect” produce from area farms and distributed them to food banks across the city. Their kitchen feeds up to 5,000 people per week at agencies across Toronto.

CAMH is one of the world’s leading mental health research hospitals based in Toronto. While every one of these organizations are important and vital, I personally consider CAMH one of the best organizations in our city and country to bring leading edge breakthroughs in mental health with new treatments and hope. They have more than 120 brilliant scientists in their research programs handling personalized care to provide patients with more compassionate, effective treatments for people facing suicide and other mental health challenges.

In the spirit of the season, and in the spirit of continuing to support the communities in which we live and work, I encourage you to think about how you can support these worthwhile causes.

It’s important and it matters.

George Longo, President & CEO, Excess Underwriting