Philanthropy boosts Lifespan's Employee COVID Relief Fund

In an overwhelming show of support for health care workers of Lifespan and their families, philanthropy from community leaders has led to more than $135,000 in contributions to the not-for-profit’s Employee COVID Relief Fund.

Among the donations is a major gift of a combined $75,000 from Shivan S. Subramaniam, his wife, Jyothi, and the FM Global Foundation. Subramaniam is a longtime member of the Lifespan Board of Directors and the retired chairman and CEO of FM Global, one of the world’s largest commercial property insurers.

The major gift includes a personal contribution of $25,000 from the Subramaniams and a double-matched contribution of $50,000 from the FM Global Foundation, which is supporting employee and retiree giving specific to COVID-19 pandemic relief efforts worldwide.

“The economic fallout of this pandemic has created significant financial hardship, including for some of our employees and their families, particularly if a spouse or partner has lost their job unexpectedly. These are the staff the fund was created to help,” said Timothy J. Babineau, MD, president and CEO of Lifespan. “It’s not often that I find myself at a loss for words, but ‘thank you’ only scratches the surface of the immense gratitude I feel to the Subramaniams, to the FM Global Foundation and to all that have stepped up on behalf of our employees.”

“Although FM Global’s presence spans the world, Rhode Island is the company’s home and is where a significant portion of its staff live,” Subramaniam said. “These gifts are all about helping to take care of those who are taking care of others at a time unlike any other in our lives. I am particularly grateful to the FM Global Foundation for deepening the impact of philanthropy through its own generosity and for its commitment to the local community.”

Lifespan’s Employee COVID Relief Fund has helped employees, full and part-time, experiencing financial challenges related to the coronavirus pandemic. Aid has been available as a modest financial relief payment, prepaid grocery card(s), or a combination of the two. The assistance is to help with the costs of rent or utilities, food, medication, child or eldercare, and care for ill dependents.

The gifts to the fund were in large part in response to a personal fundraising challenge issued by Babineau and Lawrence A. Aubin Sr., chairman of the Lifespan Board of Directors. In sharing the fund’s purpose with fellow Lifespan executives and members of the board, the two joined together and pledged to match the first $10,000 in donations, with Aubin calling the community’s response, “overwhelming.”