OREANDA-NEWS. Sun Life Financial is making a $100,000 donation to Egale Centre - Canada's first and Toronto's only facility that will combine the counselling of Egale Youth Outreach with transitional and emergency housing exclusively dedicated to serving homeless LGBTIQ2S (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer, two-spirit) youth. This contribution will be directed to programming that will assist in helping to build mental health resiliency. Today's announcement comes during Toronto's month-long Pride festivies and just days before the city's annual Pride parade, an event that attracts over one million individuals.

Egale Centre, opening in the fall of 2017, will provide 30 resident rooms, each with a private bathroom and shower. The facility will be located at the corner of Dundas and Sherbourne Streets, near the Church-Wellesley Village, in the heart of Toronto's LGBTIQ2S community. The centre will offer a range of support services, including: crisis intervention, housing support, mental health counselling and employment and education support. In Toronto, approximately one in four homeless youth identify as LGBTIQ2S.

"We are pleased to be working with Egale Centre to create an inclusive and safe community for our LGBTIQ2S youth.  Together,  we can help provide them with the tools and resources to positively impact their physical and mental health," said Melissa Kennedy, Executive Vice-President, Chief Legal Officer & Public Affairs, Sun Life Financial. "Sun Life strongly believes in the importance of diversity, encouraging people to embrace their authenticity in order to lead a brighter life."

Egale Centre is operated by Egale Canada Human Rights Trust, Canada's only national charity promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans human rights through research, education and community engagement.

About Sun Life Financial
Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth products and services to individuals and corporate customers. Sun Life Financial has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of March 31, 2016, the Sun Life Financial group of companies had total assets under management of $861 billion.

About Egale
Egale Canada Human Rights Trust is Canada's only national charity promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer, and two-spirit (LGBTIQ2S) human rights through research, education and community engagement. Egale's vision is a Canada free from homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and all other forms of discrimination, where every person can achieve their potential unencumbered by hatred and bias.