Annual celebration highlights small business customers who are making an impact in their communities
TORONTO, July 25, 2019 /CNW/ - Today, as we celebrate our annual Customer Appreciation Day, TD is thanking customers across the country and highlighting the good work of four Canadian business banking customers who embody exceptional dedication and service to their local communities. #TDThanksYou messages will be shared with customers we connect with on the phone, online social media and in person.
"Being a purpose-driven brand is about more than any offering or service, it's about how we stand up and enrich the lives of our customers, colleagues and communities," said Theresa McLaughlin, Global Chief Marketing, Citizenship & Customer Experience Officer, TD Bank Group. "At TD, we take this to heart. Everything we do is aimed at living up to this purpose. Every year, we recognize our incredible customers who are a constant source of inspiration. Thank you for letting us help you reach your financial goals and making our communities a better, more inclusive place for generations to come."
The four small business owners receiving recognition from TD were nominated by TD employees. They are Vincenzo Nano of Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Connie McInnes of Halifax, NS, Bob Desautels of Guelph, ON, and Dr. Greg Chang of Surrey, BC.
- Vincenzo Nano, owner of a pizza dough manufacturing company, committed his small family business to employing individuals challenged by disabilities. Vincenzo strives to accommodate his employees with the proper tools, resources and accessibility unique to their disability.
Despite their Italian heritage, the Nano family has never travelled to Italy to trace their roots. That's why in June, in recognition of these efforts by the Nano family to employ and assist individuals with disabilities, TD thanked Vincenzo with a surprise trip to Sicily for his entire family.
As well, TD will provide a grant in Vincenzo's honour to SDEM SEMO, a non-profit organization that helps adults with disabilities find jobs in the community and that builds tools to help accelerate their job placement process. Watch Vincenzo's reaction to receiving recognition for his efforts here. - Connie McInnes understands the unique and complex challenges of female entrepreneurship and of building female confidence. That's why she's committed to using her three Halifax, NS, yoga studios to give back to women in her local community.
Connie regularly fundraises to support a variety of women's issues, she holds special classes for women with lower incomes who suffer from anxiety and health challenges, and she organizes item drives, like the recent one that collected hundreds of boxes of tampons for a local youth organization whose supplies were running low.
To thank Connie, TD will, in her honour, fund three years of Women's Programming at Laing House, a drop-in centre for youth aged 16-29 living with mood disorders, psychosis and/or anxiety disorder. In addition, TD will pay her enrollment fees for an Entrepreneurial Leaders Program she wants to take to develop her business ability to further empower other women. See Connie being recognized for her thoughtful work here. - Bob Desautels has been in the restaurant business since 1991. Since the beginning, his passion for food has extended to sustainability, both through the ingredients sourced and the protection and conservation of the local environment.
His business has become the largest restaurant group in the world to receive the Certified B Corporation award which recognizes businesses that give back to their communities. His business has also received recognition as a leader in local environmental protection, having raised more than $150,000 to help restore several Guelph rivers.
To thank Bob, TD will plant 1,000 trees in his honour and will help fund the clean-up of a trail in the Grand River Conservation Area which will be named after his grandchildren. Watch Bob receiving thanks from his community here. - Dr. Greg Chang founded SuperChefs in 2008 out of a concern for the variety of health issues negatively impacting the young children often visiting his dental clinic in Surrey, BC. These were primarily health issues that Dr. Chang knew could be resolved by improved nutrition paired with increased exercise. From this concern, SuperChefs was born.
While Dr. Chang has built SuperChefs into a powerful network of expert doctors, dentists, chefs, educators and entertainers across North America, he still personally coordinates free SuperChefs cooking and sports camps for children every summer in southern BC.
To thank Dr. Chang, TD will equip his SuperChefs Kitchen with brand new pizza stones and pasta makers to supplement their kitchen utilities. TD will also invite him and some of the children in his program to a special sports night experience. See Dr. Chang receive thanks here.
"These individuals go above and beyond to improve the lives of the people around them, and today it's TD's turn to give them a little something in return," said Alec Morley, Senior Vice President, Small Business Banking, TD. "We are incredibly fortunate and honoured to work with customers who are role models and community builders."
As part of Customer Appreciation Day, TD customers will be offered custom #TDThanksYou cookies in TD branches across the country. At Toronto's Union Station, and at flagship branches located at 394 Bay Street in Toronto, 700 West George Street in Vancouver, and at 11 Inglewood Drive in St. Albert, Alberta, TD customers and non-customers alike can enjoy green popcorn from 11am to 2pm. As a special thank-you to our customers, on the TD Stage at Union Summer (65 Front Street West, Toronto) Toronto-based artist, Jesse Gold will be performing from 2-3pm. Learn more about #TDThanksYou at www.TD.com/tdthanksyou.
About TD Bank Group
The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group ("TD" or the "Bank"). TD is the sixth largest bank in North America by branches and serves 26 million customers in three key businesses operating in a number of locations in financial centres around the globe: Canadian Retail, including TD Canada Trust, TD Auto Finance Canada, TD Wealth (Canada), TD Direct Investing, and TD Insurance; U.S. Retail, including TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®, TD Auto Finance U.S., TD Wealth (U.S.), and an investment in TD Ameritrade; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities. TD also ranks among the world's leading online financial services firms, with 13 million active online and mobile customers. TD had CDN$1.4 trillion in assets on April 30, 2019. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol "TD" on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.
SOURCE TD Bank Group
