SaskTel is no stranger to giving back to Saskatchewan, and with the announcement of SaskTel TelCare’s annual donations for 2019, its clear the tradition remains alive and well as the company welcomes the new year.
Employee driven, the SaskTel TelCare fund collects donations annually through a voluntary payroll deduction. This year, the program raised over $165,000 that when combined with SaskTel’s commitment to match 50 per cent of each donation, has allowed it to donate a total of nearly $248,000 to 70 charitable and non-profit organizations operating across Saskatchewan.
“People in this province are known for their generosity and over the years I’ve come to realize just how strongly the employees at SaskTel have embraced that spirit,” said Don Morgan, Minister Responsible for SaskTel. “It’s wonderful to see so many people give back year-after-year to help their communities be the best they can be by assisting some of the groups who work so hard to help make it happen.”
That giving spirit lies at the core of SaskTel TelCare and its guiding philosophy. With the support of management, the fund was founded by a group of like-minded employees who believed that by pooling their resources, they too could make a difference in peoples lives.
For the 800 employees enrolled in support of the fund, the power of coming together is truly on display. Their average donation of $206 per year, plus a matching donation of $103 per member courtesy of SaskTel, has allowed each of the nine TelCare districts to contribute much more that they may have otherwise been capable of on their own.
“Connection is ultimately about people joining together, and when they do there’s no end to the amazing things that can be accomplished” said Doug Burnett, SaskTel President and CEO. “Part of what makes me proud to work for a company like SaskTel is that the corporation and its employees have always embraced giving back to the communities we serve and I’m glad to say the same about our 2019.”
Organized into nine districts, SaskTel TelCare Committee members in each district nominate and then vote for the non-profit and charitable organizations that they wish to support in their home communities.
For many districts this meant showing support for local branches of national charities such as Diabetes Canada, provincial organizations like the Alzheimer’s Society of Saskatchewan, or home-grown organizations such as the Nipawin Handiworks.