TELUS is the #MostGivingCompany

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TELUS is proud to announce the contribution of $150 million and one million volunteer hours to charitable organizations this past year to create stronger, healthier communities, establishing TELUS as the #MostGivingCompany. Since 2000, TELUS has contributed $1.2 billion to charitable organizations in Canada, including $690 million in financial support and 1.3 million days of caring and volunteerism.

“For many years, we have proudly shared the countless ways TELUS is creating positive social and economic outcomes in our communities as we lead the world in social capitalism,” said Darren Entwistle, TELUS President and Chief Executive Officer. “Companies that embrace social capitalism do so by using their core business to serve a greater social purpose that benefits all of their stakeholders, from shareholders and customers to our most vulnerable citizens. At TELUS, social purpose is not supplemental to our strategy, but rather the central thesis of what we do, why we do it and what we stand for as a culture.”

This commitment to creating more vibrant communities is exemplified by the TELUS Community Boards. Created in 2005, TELUS’ 13 Canadian community boards and five International boards have led the company’s support of grassroots charities. TELUS Community Boards have contributed $72 million in support of 7,000 local charitable projects over the course of 14 years, enriching the lives of more than two million children and youth, annually. Our Community Boards are supported by the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, formed last year to address the social and economic challenges facing Canada’s disadvantaged youth. Last year’s to the Friendly Future Foundation is the largest donation made by a publicly traded Canadian company in history and one of the largest ever in North America.

Inspiring hope through TELUS Days of Giving

This month marks the start of the 14th annual TELUS Days of Giving where 40,000 TELUS team members and retirees worldwide will volunteer at thousands of activities to help create more sustainable communities across Canada and around the world. Through TELUS Days of Giving, TELUS is inspiring hope and improving the circumstances of thousands of Canadians and global citizens. In 2018, 36,000 TELUS volunteers participated in TELUS Days of Giving events across Canada, and supported their communities through nearly 2,000 initiatives including sorting 68,000 pounds of food at food banks, filling 13,500 backpacks with school supplies for children in need and serving 127,000 healthy meals to feed the hungry.

“At TELUS, our award-winning culture is underpinned by our team’s unwavering commitment to giving back, with our hearts and our hands, to make a meaningful difference in the communities where we live, work and serve,” continued Entwistle. “Guided by our heartfelt philosophy, we give where we live, we are leveraging our technology, social innovation and human compassion to create stronger, healthier communities in Canada and around the globe. Each and every day, I am inspired by our team’s extraordinary efforts to enable remarkable human and social outcomes. In 2018 alone, we contributed one million volunteer hours of service and gifted $150 million, representing 7 per cent of pre-tax profits to charitable organizations across Canada. It is this unparalleled dedication to making the world a better place, exemplified by our incredible team, that reinforces TELUS’ position as the most giving company in the world.”

Empowering underserved Canadians through Connecting for Good

TELUS is committed to leveraging its technology to ensure vulnerable, remote and underserved populations are connected to the people, information and opportunities that matter most in our increasingly digital society, through its Connecting For Good portfolio of programs, including:

• Internet for Good, providing 50,000 low-income families access to low-cost, high-speed Internet and a computer, as well as digital literacy training and tools to participate safely in our digital world.
• Mobility for Good, helping 15,000 youth aging out of foster care to gain their independence while staying connected with a free mobile phone and 3GB data plan, empowering vulnerable youth with a vital lifeline to the people, information and opportunities that matter most.
• Health for Good, bringing necessary primary medical care, including electronic health records, to marginalized people on the streets and re-connecting them to the public healthcare system through mobile health clinics, enabling 12,000 patient visits since its inception in 2014.
• Assistive Tech for Good, empowering people with severe physical limitations live more independent lives by providing a customized TELUS solution, compatible assistive technology, training and support, enabling them to access their TELUS smartphone or tablet and enjoy the same digital resources, social connections, entertainment and information as their peers.

To learn more about TELUS’ commitment to giving back visit .

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a leading telecommunications company with $14.5 billion in annual revenue and 14 million customer connections spanning wireless, high-speed Internet, residential network access lines and TELUS TV®. We are passionate about leveraging our globally leading technology to enable remarkable human outcomes in our all-connected world. Our commitment to putting our customers first fuels every aspect of our business and has made us an industry leader in customer service excellence and loyalty.

Our TELUS team is driven by our social purpose to connect all Canadians to vital social, health, and educational opportunities in the communities where we live, work and serve. This incredible generosity and unparalleled volunteerism have made TELUS the most giving company in Canada.

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Donna Ramirez, TELUS Public Relations,