RALEIGH, N.C., Dec. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TELUS has launched its newest Community Board, marking the expansion of the company’s distinctive global philanthropic initiative, which entrusts distinguished local leaders with the allocation of grants to grassroots organizations that support vulnerable youth. The TELUS North Carolina Community Board builds on the efforts of team members from TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods, who have been giving back across the state for over 20 years. The board will award more than $1 million over the next four years to youth programs with a focus on health, education, the environment and technology.

“For more than two decades, our TELUS team members around the world have passionately embraced our give where we live philosophy,” said Darren Entwistle, President and CEO of TELUS. “Our innovative TELUS Community Boards truly embody this philosophy and contribute significantly to the legacy of giving we are building for the benefit of our communities and citizens. Indeed, by putting charitable decision-making in the hands of local leaders who know their communities best, we are ensuring our resources yield the best social outcomes. Our team is honored to commit over $1 million in support of grassroots organizations across North Carolina over the next four years as we deliver on our promise to make the future friendly in the communities where we live, work, and serve.”

The TELUS North Carolina Community Board is currently composed of the following members:

• Ebony Thomas, Chair of the Board, President of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation
• Diana Henderson, VP, Global Head of Marketing, Food, Beverage & Consumer Goods, TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods
• Brenda Berg, President and CEO, BEST NC
• Toni Bucci, CCO, AgBiome
• Randolph Keaton, Executive Director, Men and Women United for Youth and Families
• Jennifer Kirner, Senior Program Manager, TELUS
• Fleenoil Lane, VP, Global Support Services, Flexera
• Jonathan Miller, Counsel, Legal Services, TELUS
• John Raines, President, TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods
• Dr. Saundra Wall Williams, CEO, WMS Corporation
• Erin Wallace, CCXP, BASF
• Ashley Williams, Global Sales Head, Program Execution, Agribusiness, TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods

Following its inaugural meeting today, the board announced that it is disbursing a first tranche to the following charitable organizations across North Carolina:

• 101 Gardens (Aquaponics Lab at Innovation Barn)
• Gigi's Playhouse (Gigi's Playhouse Charlotte)
• Bertie County YMCA (Camp Happy)
• Conservation Trust (Seeding Resilience in Princeville II)
• Youth Lead NC (The 2023 North Carolina Youth Leadership Forum)
• She Built This City (Tech In The Trades)
• Bountiful Cities (FEAST)
• Black Wall Street (Better Digital Pathways)
• Centro Unido Latino Americano (VAMOS)
• Building Hope (Parent Program)   

“At a time when young people are still recovering from the difficulties of the pandemic, and many families are experiencing increased financial pressure, community organizations play a crucial role in providing youth with resources and skills to realize their full potential,” says Ebony Thomas, Chair of the TELUS North Carolina Community Board. “I appreciate the opportunity to be part of this outstanding, one-of-a-kind philanthropic grant program, and with fellow board members, to boost the power of some of our most impactful charitable organizations.”

“Doing good is an integral part of our business at TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods, as we work to digitally connect global supply chains, improving processes so that the food we eat and the goods we buy are safe and sustainable,” says John Raines, President of TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods. “The establishment of a new TELUS Community Board in North Carolina, where our team members have always shown great care for their communities, is a fitting extension of our mission. Thank you to the team members and community leaders who have generously stepped up to sit on the board and assume the responsibility of disbursing funds to deserving programs that make a meaningful difference in the experiences of youth throughout the state.”

Notes to editors:

• As part of today’s Community Board launch event, TELUS and TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods guests and team members were invited to lend a hand in relieving food insecurity by bringing non-perishable goods and by taking part in a volunteer event assembling 1,000 food packages for youth in need. All of the food will go to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, along with 1,000 Kits for Kids backpacks filled with school supplies.
• Through its TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods business unit, TELUS has had a presence in North Carolina since 1998, with offices in Charlotte, the Raleigh area and Durham. The team has long supported organizations and initiatives such as All-In To Fight Cancer, Ronald McDonald House and Second Harvest, contributing time and raising more than $40,000 in donations between 2019 and 2021 alone.
• Registered nonprofits with youth-oriented programs that create measurable outcomes can make a submission to the TELUS North Carolina Community Board to be considered for a grant of up to $10,000. The board will review applications twice a year and select those that it feels will best help young people thrive.
• Social purpose is at the core of TELUS’ business, and Community Boards are but one articulation of the company’s commitment to giving back to communities globally. Since 2000, TELUS, its team members and retirees across the globe have donated more than $1 billion in cash and in-kind contributions, including 1.8 million days of service, in support of the communities they and customers call home. For their part, TELUS’ 19 Community Boards have so far collectively contributed $75 million globally in support of over 8,000 local charitable projects, enriching the lives of some two million children and youth each year.

For more information about TELUS Community Boards and TELUS’ commitment to ‘we give where we live’ around the world, visit telus.com/community.

About TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods

TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods is a leading global technology provider delivering data insights and digital solutions to agriculture, food and consumer goods customers in 60 countries with a view to creating better producer-to-consumer outcomes. Backed by a global team of 1,600 experts across Canada, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Armenia, Germany, China, and Australia, TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods offers a growing list of integrated solutions for analytics, data, supply chain, trade promotion, farm and livestock production management. By leveraging technology and data, TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods is creating a unified, trusted and sustainable value chain to enable more efficient production and logistics, while lowering the impact on the environment, to progress its vision of transforming supply chains and making the future friendly.

For more information please visit telus.com/agcg and follow @TELUS_AGCG on Twitter and TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods on LinkedIn.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Caroline Arbour
TELUS Public Relations
caroline.arbour@telusagcg.com