Courage, Community and Caring will get us through COVID-19

Stressed, overwhelmed, scared — these are words I sometimes hear when people describe the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. And it’s understandable to feel this way as we navigate through this global challenge that has changed our day-to-day lives in so many ways. But there is also great hope and optimism, and it comes through in the pictures you see of people lending a helping hand and donations of supplies and funds to help those that are being particularly challenged during this difficult time.

If history has taught us anything, it’s that the human spirit is resilient during times of crisis — and we will get through this together.

What keeps me encouraged and moving forward are three words: courage, community and caring.

Courage

The extraordinary work of our nation’s health care professionals is what courage looks like in action. Despite being mentally and physically exhausted, they continue to work long hours putting their patients’ needs above their own. Doctors and nurses continue to bravely battle their own fears and potentially risk their own safety to help others. I also see examples of courage in the actions of our first responders — like police officers, fire fighters and emergency workers — who risk exposure to help stop the spread of COVID-19, while continuing to serve and protect our communities. These heroes are on the front line of our country’s efforts to help, and it is here that we continue to see individual acts of courage happen every day. As a company that proudly provides retirement plans for these individuals, we always consider it an honor to serve those that serve others — and it’s during times like these that their courage is shining through for all of us to notice.

Community

While the COVID-19 outbreak is a global pandemic, the frontlines to win this battle are in our local communities. State agencies and lawmakers are being forced to make tough decisions — such as issuing stay at home orders for non-essential employees and asking people to social distance — to help curb the spread of COVID-19 so it doesn’t overwhelm the health care system. Despite schools and colleges closing across the U.S., our nation’s community of educators are not sitting by idle. Many of them are finding new and creative ways to reach their students, including using online resources to keep them engaged and learning. In turn, some students are “paying it forward” to members of their community. For example, a group of kids from Long Island, New York are bringing joy to local senior citizens who are stuck inside because of the coronavirus. The children are sending handmade pictures and videos of them singing (it’s impossible not to smile)!

Caring

At Voya, one of our corporate values is “We Care.” We demonstrate this through the more than 3,900 non-profit organizations we support; through our $5.6 million of charitable donations; and through our employees who collectively volunteered 37,000+ hours in their local communities last year. At Voya, we care about making a positive difference in the lives of individuals with special needs and disabilities — as well as their families, caregivers and other providers — by othering a depth of a financial resources focused on education, planning and solutions through our Voya Cares® program. And now, with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting our health care professionals, our first responders, our government workers, and our educators — please know, now more than ever, we certainly care about you!

With so many facing mounting bills, Voya applauds the federal government for recently taking action to help Americans with economic relief through the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. I’m also proud that Voya is stepping up and showing our core values through action. Beginning April 1, and through Sept. 30, 2020, Voya will credit back to participants in its defined contribution plans (in each case, if the plan permits the distribution or loan): fees associated with coronavirus-related distributions allowed under the CARES Act, hardship distributions fees and loan initiation fees. Depending on utilization of the credits, Voya estimates that the program represents a collective savings to individuals of between $10 million and $20 million. Additionally, Voya will provide Americans with free access to a range of online resources (CARES Act materials, FAQs, videos, virtual group meetings), as well as phone access with financial professionals (subject to availability) with Voya Financial Advisors. While we continue to encourage plan participants to stay the course, remain invested and contribute to their retirement accounts, we appreciate this is a challenging time. As our nation works together to address the many challenges created by COVID-19, at Voya, we want to do our part to help our customers — and all Americans — manage through this difficult time by demonstrating our core values in action. For more details, read our news release: Voya Announces Efforts to Help Americans Address Financial Challenges of COVID-19.

Final Thoughts

While we are all eager for life to return to normal, there will undoubtedly be some tough times ahead. Since the impacts of COVID-19 are being felt differently by each of us, remember to be kind to one other. While feelings of stress and anxiety are understandable during these unprecedented times, together we will persevere. It just takes a little courage, doing what’s right for your community and showing each other that we truly care.