Emergency Response

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A large part of the bank's sustainability management efforts this year centered around emergency response. A series of measures to support customers and the general community were implemented, grouped under a three-dimensional National Support Plan: Social, Commercial and Public.

In the social dimension, the following initiatives were carried out:

• Direct support for at-risk senior citizens. Our contribution included donations of a two-month supply of personal care, hygiene and health articles to 11 nursing homes for low-income senior citizens, located in eight regions around the country. These articles were purchased from micro-enterprises and SMEs in each region.
• Distribution of 9,000 boxes of basic food items to senior citizens, persons with disabilities and at-risk families in the country's 16 regions. The provisions were purchased from micro-enterprises and SMEs and distributed by local drivers as a way to support them and boost local economic activity.
• Door-to-door deliveries (42,000) of medicine and food and telemedicine appointments for at-risk senior citizens from the districts of Puente Alto, Renca, Colina, Santiago, Independencia, El Bosque, La Granja, Pedro Aguirre Cerda and La Pintana, in partnership with the ServiSenior platform and the UC Christus Health Network.
• Mother’s Day Celebration, featuring an enormous heart constructed with 270 thousand chrysanthemums purchased from 100 small flower growers from the district of Hijuelas, Valparaíso Region. After the ceremony, the flowers were given to health care personnel from several hospitals and family health centers to thank them for their dedication. The activity also included a mobile concert from Chilean singer Javiera Parra which was enjoyed by thousands from the safety of their homes or through the bank's mobile applications.
• To commemorate Father's Day, more than 4,000 wool neck warmers were given to garbage collectors in 14 districts in the Valparaíso, Metropolitan and O’Higgins regions, to help keep them warm during the rainy Chilean winter and to thank them for their sacrifices during this public health crisis. The neck warmers were purchased from female knitters from La Ligua, Puente Alto and San Bernardo, to provide them some relief from the sharp decline in sales they experienced.
• For the second straight year, the bank joined the Code Blue Plan as part of the Winter Campaign from the Ministry of Social Development and Families, distributing 3,500 emergency kits to help people living on the street stay warm. The initiative provided sufficient kits for all beds at 157 shelters set up nationwide. The blankets, scarves, gloves and hats in each kit were purchased from Banco de Chile customers, thus also benefiting 36 families that manufacture such articles.
• As a way to protect the health and safety of our employees, 45 thousand face masks were distributed throughout the corporation's branch network, all purchased from SME customers of the bank.
• In July, Banco de Chile sponsored the virtual marketplace Paula Handmade (“Tienda Paula Hecho a Mano”), where more than 60 entrepreneurs and micro, small and medium enterprises from all around Chile had the chance to exhibit and sell a large variety of handmade products, such as woven or embroidered goods, tapestries, pottery, jewelry, cosmetics, shoes and purses, among others.
• From July 30th to August 3rd, the bank and Bazar ED held a large fair to support SMEs and entrepreneurs, which was 100% digital due to the pandemic. More than 200 entrepreneurs, micro, small and medium enterprises offered their products and services through this virtual marketplace.
• Special, Meaningful Children's Day Celebration. The initiative involved distributing more than 1,000 infant kits for newborns or children under 1 year of age, and more than 2,000 food boxes for at-risk families living in 170 shantytowns located in seven of regions around Chile. The articles were made by local SMEs, generating a virtuous cycle that helped support the entrepreneurs, which are bank customers, and delivery persons from the ServiSenior platform that distributed the articles.
• Support was provided to Cajas Chile in the form of health protection for 250 neighborhood stores located in the 183 districts with lower bank use rates. These stores serve bank customers in these remote areas, generating safe spaces for people to bank in different parts of the country.
• In partnership with Desafío Levantemos Chile, the bank supported the La Araucanía Region by donating 20 modular medical monitors to the regional health service, in addition to protective equipment for health personnel, hygiene kits and food boxes.
• A special invitation was made to apply for grants to promote the economic reactivation of micro-enterprise customers and Cajas Chile in areas especially hard hit by the pandemic. The initiative provided support for 72 customers with training, mentoring and financial assistance.
• In August the I Choose Local (“Yo elijo local”) campaign was launched, providing a free space for several SMEs and entrepreneurs to showcase their products and help boost sales. The campaign lasted six weeks, during which time the public learned about the different goods and services through large-scale advertising spaces, such as the websites of Banco de Chile and Desafío Levantemos Chile.
• In September, the bank joined the charitable campaign Let’s Go Chile (“Vamos Chilenos”) to support at-risk senior citizens, an initiative organized by the Teletón Foundation and Universidad Católica de Chile. To facilitate the collection process, the bank set up “current account 2020” and channeled funds to the Conecta Foundation created by that university.
• In December, the bank celebrated SME Week, a digital initiative that included diverse actions focused towards bank customers and entrepreneurs, micro, small and medium enterprises, and the general public. In this context, it launched the SME Reactivation Manual, developed by COMPITE, an organization that advises small and medium-sized businesses to boost productivity and be more competitive. The Banco de Chile Entrepreneur Academy (“Academia de Emprendedores Banco de Chile”) was also strengthened. This is the first continuing education space on the radio with practical content to improve and strengthen SMEs.
• Many of the initiatives undertaken by the corporation would not be possible without the support and commitment of bank volunteers, in conjunction with the coordination and efforts of several community institutions. Given the pandemic, the actions and contributions made in this context were related to the contingency.
• The Desafío Levantemos Chile partnership, in existence since 2012, allowed the bank to provide support during the public health emergency, raising Ch$2,379,136,066 to benefit 439 thousand people through different initiatives.