Manulife and John Hancock announced March 18 that they have taken measures focused on providing vulnerable people with safe access to food throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Among these measures, Manulife is donating $1 million to support safe access to food for Canadian communities in need. The goal is to help individuals whose health and well-being are most immediately impacted.

Through John Hancock, the company has also committed $1 million to the Boston Resiliency Fund, which is helping to provide food for children and seniors.

In addition, the Manulife says it will be directly supporting local food banks and food distribution organizations in Canada and has partnered with Global Medic to distribute food kits and build mobile infrastructure tents where food banks are closed. It has also partnered with Moisson Montreal to support food distribution.

The company also announced that it is working directly and with partners to provide urgent response and relief across communities in Asia to tackle the spread of the coronavirus.

"At Manulife, one of our core values is to Do The Right Thing," said Roy Gori, Manulife President and CEO. "We are committed to making lives better for people around the world, and in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, we are supporting food security, particularly the availability and safe access to food for those who are most vulnerable at this critical time."