Some disturbing statistics regarding Canadian youth have caught the attention of Telus, resulting in the launch of the friendly future foundation.

Liz Sauve, Spokesperson for Telus, says they have contributed 120 million dollars for challenged youth in small communities across the country.

"We started this new independent foundation really to help give vulnerable kids a friendlier future in a challenging world," she said.

Statistics show that in Canada, 1.5 million children go hungry or do not have access to nutritious food daily, as well as 350,000 young people in government care who lack the support of a family.

Sauve says these statistics regarding hunger, no access to internet services and homelessness helped spark the initiative.

"The Telus team really believes that these statistics are unacceptable. Particularly in a country like Canada, that we call home. That's why we're increasing our commitment to support Canadian youth," she said.

According to Telus, about 40 per cent of low-income families lack affordable access to the internet, resulting in children being at risk of falling behind in school.

"We want to level the playing field for kids. We know that there's a lot of vulnerable Canadian youth who are lacking access to the internet, and lacking the resources to really give them a chance as they enter into their adult life," said Sauve.

The program aims to provide grants to grassroots charities in smaller communities to support Canadian youth in schools and future prospects.

For more information about the foundation, to make a donation, or to apply for a grant, please visit friendlyfuture.com.

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