By Jessica Finch

Zvelle: Canadian footwear brand Zvelle has set out to celebrate and honour female healthcare heroes by designing them a pair of speciality sandals and gifting them to women around the world.

The digitally-native brand has created a pair of ‘Stowe’ sandals — inspired by Canada’s first female physician and the founder of Women's College Hospital, Emily Stowe — to recognize the immense sacrifice our healthcare professionals are making to help fight the spread of COVID-19 “We want to allow Dr. Stowe’s leadership to live on and honour the women healthcare workers who are fighting for us,” said Zvelle Founder, Elle AyoubZadeh.

“It’s been a joy to ship out every single pair of Stowe sandals to the healthcare heroes you nominated! We were overwhelmed with nominations and are still going through them and sending out shoes as I write this! We are in the hundreds now!” said AyoubZadeh.

Nominate your healthcare hero anywhere in the world so Zvelle can send them a pair of Stowe sandals in recognition of their courageous work.

Nominations are open internationally and can be made as follows:

Share a photo of your healthcare hero on any of these social platforms: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and tell Zvelle why you are nominating them.
Make sure to tag Zvelle and use the hashtag #WalkHowYouWant

*Philippe Legault co-owner of Mondou, along with the next generation of family members and the CEO.*

Mondou: Quebec-based company Mondou is giving back to its community by donating $110,000 in products and gift cards to Moisson Montréal and to animal shelters in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

Through this initiative, Mondou wants to help pet owners in need, so as to prevent them from having to abandon their pet because of financial hardship during this time.

“Given the current context, it was only natural for Mondou to continue to be socially involved and to play an active role in a mutual aid movement aimed at helping those most in need,” said Martin Deschênes, Mondou’s general manager.

The family-owned company that has been caring for the well-being of animals for more than 80 years, and now is no different. In an effort to help pet owners affected by the current situation, Mondou plans to donate canned cat and dog food, as well as cat litter to Moisson Montréal. The organization will then distribute the products in several Quebec food banks. Upon completion of this initiative, 5,000 families will have benefited from this assistance.

Mondou are also giving away 2,100 gift cards valued at $30 each to a dozen partner shelters that in turn will help pet owners who cannot afford to feed their pets.

Flow Alkaline Spring Water: Flow Alkaline Spring Water is responding to the recent increase in demand for water, due to COVID-19, by donating $1 million worth of Flow to frontline healthcare workers.

The Canadian brand has a goal of donating a total of $1 million worth of Flow water to frontline healthcare workers across North America during the pandemic. Flow is confident in its source, supply chain, and availability, ensuring that it has the means to support the urgent increase in water demand during COVID-19.

Flow has promised that with every alkaline water case purchased it will match and donate product to organizations that are supporting frontline healthcare workers across Canada and the United States.

Flow has partnered with Toronto hospitals Sunnybrook Hospital and SickKids Hospital to prepare issuing donations to hospitals across Canada.

Since its conception in 2015, Flow has been dedicated to supporting the environment by producing natural spring water in sustainable packaging, but now its dedication extends far beyond that as the company does its part to help the front line workers with their fight every day to beat COVID-19.

Goodfood: Montreal-based food delivery service Goodfood is setting out to ensure that no child or family goes hungry in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Goodfood CEO, Jonathan Ferrari, recognizes the risk of hunger at home as schools and businesses temporarily remain shut and as a growing number of Canadian families are dealing with compromised income and , in turn, food insecurity.

As a result, Goodfood matched its members’ donations to the Breakfast Club of Canada COVID-19 Emergency Fund, up to $10,000, during the first two weeks of April. This fundraising campaign contributed over $50,000 for children and families facing hardships during these difficult times. GoodFood is also partnering with the University of Montreal Health Centre Foundation to supply medical personnel and volunteers with ready-to-eat meals during the month of April.

Jollibee: Amid the countless COVID-19 closures, Jollibee has continued to provide customers with their favourite menu items via drive-through (across select locations), call and pick-up, and take-out, and now, the public can have even easier access to Jollibee’s menu through the launch of Jollibee delivery.

Available across Canada and the United States, and powered by DoorDash, Jollibee's newest initiative kicked off in Canada on April 14.

In conjunction with the launch of nationwide delivery, Jollibee is also delivering food to those on the front lines. The brand is donating 5,000 meals to healthcare workers at hospitals across the country. Every delivery care package will include a 'Note of Joy' from customers nationwide to show thanks and appreciation for the hospital workers' dedication and service during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"At Jollibee, it is part of our mission to spread joy, and during this time we want to bring it to those who need it most, our healthcare workers," said Maribeth Dela Cruz, President JFC North America, Philippine Brands. "We're looking forward to providing more than just a meal, but the appreciation from people all over the country for everything those on the front-lines are doing, day and night, for our communities."

Freshco: CEO and Founder of retail and maintenance firm Freshco, Mandy Rennehan, has launched an initiative to recognize truck drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Providing truck drivers with a clean, safe rest stop in Oakville, Ontario, Rennehan and her team are offering drivers four executive washrooms which will be disinfected twice a day.

As truck drivers are finding it more and more difficult to avail of well-lit, safe, and hygienic washrooms on their routes, Freshco is providing all-inclusive washrooms, that are fully accessible, open 24/7, and lit with illumination bulbs and floodlights. Featuring hand-free soap dispensers and feminine hygiene products for women, Freshco aims to supply truck drivers en route through Oakville a pleasant and safe place to freshen up during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Located at 1151 South Service Road West, Oakville, with the main intersections being in between QEW & Forth Line, and QEW & Third line.

As politicians and industry groups are trying to find a solution, companies and drivers at the centre of this problem are looking for changes now. With Mandy’s decades of experience in building/retail maintenance and a lifetime of work as a handy-woman, she is a valuable resource to lend a hand by launching this initiative that supports these undervalued - and often under-compensated - professionals at this time.