- $1.1 million in new grants for
mental health programs supporting Black, Indigenous and People of
Colour (BIPOC) communities throughout Canada
- Diversity Fund provides $4.45
million in grants since the launch in 2020
MONTRÉAL, Jan. 17,
2023 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell Let's Talk today announced
$1.1 million in new grants from the
Bell Let's Talk Diversity Fund to support 11 additional
organizations helping to create positive change for members of
Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) communities in
Canada.
The Bell Let's Talk Diversity Fund provides grants for
organizations working to reduce the stigma of mental illness and
increase access to culturally informed mental health and well-being
support for BIPOC communities. Since the launch in 2020, 39
organizations from the across the country have received grants.
Eleven new organizations providing mental health services to a
wide range of people in many diverse communities around the country
have been selected to receive grants from the Diversity Fund.
"We are delighted to announce our latest Bell Let's Talk
Diversity Fund recipients. These organizations are delivering
much needed supports and services in many diverse communities
across the country. The grants are helping these organizations to
take meaningful action to help create positive change for people
struggling with mental health issues. Congratulations to these
outstanding 11 organizations."
- Mary Deacon,
Chair of Bell Let's Talk
Here are the grant recipients:
- AGIR: Action lesbienne, gai, bisexuelle, trans et queer (LGBTQ)
avec les immigrantEs et les réfugiéEs
- Canadian Centre for Victims of Armed Conflicts
- Foxe Basin North Kivalliq Sapujiyiit/ Guardians of the Sea
Society
- Ionkwahronkha'onhatie
- Kehewin Native Dance Theatre
- Mount Carmel Clinic
- Mshkikii Gamik Medicine Lodge at Health Sciences North
- Ndinawemaaganag Endaawaad Inc
- The Refugee Centre
- VIBE Arts
- Woodstock First Nation Health Centre
"This Bell Let's Talk financial support will strengthen Mount
Carmel Clinic's braid of culturally relevant, sensitive and
Elder-led health care programming and mental health services in
Winnipeg. This generous gift will
provide much needed support to enhance community engagement and
connections through Indigenous ways of being, doing and knowing.
Providing cultural health services to Indigenous people that are
unique and relevant to their present and past needs, histories and
experiences helps us to offer community care that is safe, caring
and holistic. We are deeply grateful for this support and look
forward to continuing our work together."
- Debra Diubaldo,
Wisdom Holder and Community Auntie and Bobbette Shoffner, Executive Director, Mount
Carmel Clinic
"We are thrilled to receive a Bell Let's Talk Diversity Fund
grant for our Arab Refugees and Newcomers Counselling Program. This
program will offer access to mental health support services, such
as drop-in counselling, group counselling, support groups, and
crisis intervention to refugees and immigrants coming from the
Middle-East and North African
Countries. With this grant, our program will be able to reduce
barriers to access mental health services for Arab refugees and
newcomers."
- Ayoub
Cherkaoui, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for
Victims of Armed Conflicts
"Foxe Basin Kivalliq North Sapujiyiit/Guardians of the
Sea Society began as a grassroots initiative to protect the land,
waters and people of Chesterfield
Inlet, Coral Harbour and
Naujaat, Nunavut, but has evolved
to include mental health as a main component of our work due to the
special connection Inuit have to the land. Support from Bell
Let's Talk will allow the Sapujiyiit Society to integrate
mental health services with being on the land through workshops and
support systems designed to deal with the unique concerns of Inuit
mental health in Nunavut."
- Sarah Newell,
Executive Director and Lead Researcher, Sapujiyiit
Society
"Ionkwahronkha'onhátie' has been supporting Kanien'kéha (Mohawk)
language learners on a grassroots level since 2019. We are thankful
to be receiving funding from Bell Let's Talk to target support of
the mental health, wellness and capacity of our organization and
the Kanien'kéha language learning community. We believe mental
health, healing and wellness are core components of language
learning and we are so excited to have this opportunity to invest
in those components."
- Shea Sky, Co-Founder & Co-Director,
Ionkwahronkha'onhátie'
"The Refugee Centre serves thousands of refugees and newcomers
across Montréal every year, developing and providing culturally
safe and innovative programming to help and empower our community.
This support from Bell Let's Talk will enable the Refugee Centre to
catalyze and enhance our efforts by focusing on reducing mental
health stigma in BIPOC communities and directing newcomers/refugees
to culturally safe resources. By improving our capacity to provide
trauma-informed wellness support, we aim to strengthen mental
health/wellness during the newcomer resettlement process, which has
been particularly challenging pre & post-COVID-19."
- Abdulla Daoud,
Executive Director, Refugee Centre
"VIBE Arts is thrilled to be a recipient of a Bell Let's Talk
Diversity Fund grant, supporting our Boreal Creates Arts for Mental
Health and Community Engagement Program. This funding will enable
us to collaborate with community organizations in Northern Ontario. Together we will deliver
culturally relevant arts programs that build trust with community
members and encourage
access to mental health and wellness support services in a
welcoming, low-barrier and meaningful way."
- Katie
Hutchinson, Executive Director, VIBE Arts
"The Woodstock First Nation Health Centre is thrilled to receive
a Bell Let's Talk Diversity Fund grant to help establish an
Indigenous Youth Outreach Program - which will empower the youth in
our community, and ensure health equity to better address
Indigenous health priorities. This support from Bell Let's Talk
will assist in connecting youth to their culture and community and
increase access to culturally appropriate mental health and
well-being. While much remains to be done, together, in partnership
with Bell Let's Talk - we are taking the first step to creating
positive change."
- Amanda
McIntosh, Health Director, Woodstock First Nation Health
Centre
Quick Facts
- $1.1 million in new grants
- $4.45 million in grants since
2020
- 39 Diversity Fund recipients
To learn more about the Diversity Fund recipients, please visit
Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Bell Let's Talk Day is
January 25
On January 25 and every day
throughout the year, we encourage Canadians to take meaningful
action to create positive change for mental health. Everyone can
play a role in our homes, schools, workplaces and communities. Here
are some actions we can all take:
- Choose a mental health organization to learn about or
support
- Help a friend struggling with their mental health by
learning how to support them
- Ask about how your school, workplace or community is
creating change for mental health
- Nurture your own well-being by practicing and learning
mental health strategies
- Get involved in a mental health initiative or organize
an event to support mental health
- Engage in conversations about mental health to fight
stigma
Visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk for more ideas and share your
actions using #BellLetsTalk and help inspire others to join the
movement to create positive change for mental health.
About Bell Let's
Talk
The largest-ever corporate commitment to mental health in
Canada, Bell Let's Talk is focused
on 4 key action pillars – Anti-stigma, Care and Access, Research
and Workplace Leadership – and is a driver of Bell for Better.
Since its launch in 2010, Bell Let's Talk has partnered with more
than 1,400 organizations providing mental health services
throughout Canada, including hospitals, universities, local
community service providers and other care and research
organizations. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Media inquiries:
Jacqueline Michelis
jacqueline.michelis@bell.ca
@Bell_LetsTalk
@Bell_News
SOURCE Bell Canada