Petro-Canada to support Caregivers in Canada through the Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation

All financial figures are in Canadian dollars. 

CALGARY, Alberta, Nov. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Petro-Canada, a Suncor business, today announced the creation of the Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation, which will support family caregivers across Canada. Through the CareMakers Foundation, Suncor plans to invest $10 million over the next five years to bring awareness and support to the essential work of caregivers, a group that according to Statistics Canada includes more than 8 million Canadians.

The CareMakers Foundation will provide grants to charitable organizations in Canada that support family caregiving, to enhance and amplify their work. The first recipients of the CareMakers Foundation include: Baycrest Foundation, Circle of Care: Mount Sinai Hospital, BC Neighbourhood Houses, and Community Care City of Kawartha Lakes.

At some point in their lives, more than half of Canadians provide unpaid care to a family member or friend with a long-term health condition, physical or mental disability, or age-related need. These caregivers play an integral role in supporting relatives, friends and neighbours, and they often go unrecognized and unsupported.

“Caring for those who care for others is a natural fit for us. It is core to Suncor’s purpose, and through our Petro-Canada associates and marketers it’s also how we Live By The Leaf every day,” said Mark Little, Suncor president and chief executive officer. “Caregiving is personal for us. The work supported by the Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation will positively impact our employees, our customers and Canadians from coast to coast to coast.”

Caregivers provide roughly 75 per cent of all patient care in Canada. Among other things, family caregivers provide transportation, meal preparation and housekeeping. They schedule appointments, help with medications and provide emotional support. “Caregivers are the backbone of our communities, and the pandemic has in many ways exacerbated the issues that family caregivers face,” said Little. “We know this issue is largely unseen, and through our more than 1,850 retail and wholesale locations we have the unique ability to shine a light on caregiving at a time when caring is more essential than it has ever been.”