As the COVID-19 pandemic drastically affects human health as well as the economy, Citigroup Inc is investing more than US$65 million in medical equipment to support frontline workers, while Citibank Taiwan Ltd (台灣花旗) is helping local families and healthcare workers.
Citigroup is passing the baton to Citibank Taiwan, which is matching dollar-for-dollar donations from its 4,000 employees nationwide, to help vulnerable families, orphans, single-parent homes and medical personnel nationwide.
Throughout the pandemic, Citibank Taiwan’s policy has been to provide its employees with a safe work environment, while continuing to provide the same level of service to its customers, Citibank Taiwan chairman Paulus Mok (莫兆鴻) said.
Photo courtesy of Citibank Taiwan Ltd
Although COVID-19 is winding down in Taiwan, many families in the nation have been hit with a drastic reduction in their income due to the pandemic’s economic effects. Affording tuition and even basic daily necessities has become a challenge for many families.
To help these families, as well as doctors on the front line, Citibank Taiwan has teamed up with nonprofit organizations the Mustard Seed Mission, the Taipei Orphan Welfare Foundation and Doctors Without Borders.
More than 35 percent of the nation’s vulnerable families are facing reduced salary, unpaid leave or even unemployment as a result of the pandemic, the Mustard Seed Mission said.
The mission thanked Citibank for its efforts to raise funds and rally 170 food banks to provide families with daily necessities including rice, noodles, canned goods, cooking oil and soap.
Working with the Taipei Orphan Welfare Foundation, Citibank aims to raise funds to help children in single-parent homes pay for tuition, as their ability to do so might have been limited by the pandemic, the bank said.
As the pandemic has not yet slowed in much of the world, Citibank also hopes that working with Doctors Without Borders could help doctors slow the spread of the disease.
Citibank employees nationwide have donated funds to subsidize the purchase of medical equipment for doctors in vulnerable areas.
The bank would continue its fundraising efforts to help disadvantaged families in Taiwan and to help purchase medical equipment for frontline doctors until the end of August, and Citibank would continue to match all donations made by employees nationwide.
“Let’s put our heart into this, and join hands to build a post-epidemic world of caring, Citibank said.
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