- $2 million in annual funding for
community organizations nationwide
- 414 groups in every region have received grants since the Fund
launched in 2011
- Applications now open for 2018 grants – please visit
Bell.ca/LetsTalk to apply
MONTRÉAL, Jan. 16, 2018 /CNW
Telbec/ - As Canada gets ready for Bell Let's Talk Day on
January 31, Bell today announced it
is doubling its annual Bell Let's Talk Community Fund to
$2 million. Accepting applications
for 2018 grants starting today, the Community Fund supports local
mental health programs that improve access to care in Canadian
communities of all sizes.
"The Community Fund is a Bell Let's Talk program that recognizes
the important mental health work of dedicated local organizations
in communities all around Canada. We're very pleased to make more
funds available to support these frontline groups in meeting the
growing demand for local care initiatives," said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let's Talk.
"I commend Bell for continuing to provide an opportunity,
through Bell Let's Talk, to reflect on how we can tackle the stigma
that surrounds mental health and remove barriers to access," said
the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health. "As
Minister of Health, I believe strongly in advancing the work that
needs to be done on mental health, and want to thank all groups
across the country for the support they provide to Canadians
suffering from mental illness. I look forward to participating on
January 31, and invite all Canadians
to join the conversation to shine a light on mental illness."
The $1 million annual Bell Let's
Talk Community Fund has provided individual grants of up to
$25,000 to registered Canadian
charities since its launch in 2011. A committee of mental health
experts reviews all applications submitted, and a total of 414
grants have been provided to local initiatives since 2011.
"Funding grassroots mental health supports and services is
critical to building stronger families and communities," said
Fred Phelps, Executive Director of
the Canadian Association of Social Workers and Chair of the
Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health campaign.
"The mental health of Canadians depends on accessing a continuum of
services that support journeys of recovery. I applaud Bell Let's
Talk for recognizing how important this is and for making
significant investments in our communities that support people in
accessing the help they need, where and when they need it."
"Music and the arts are essential for a healthy life.
Our Community Fund grant allowed Artists in Healthcare to
bring life-changing arts programming including dance/movement
therapy and live music to Selkirk Mental Health Centre. The impact
for our clients was incredibly positive," said Shirley Grierson, Executive Director of Selkirk
Mental Health Centre.
"The Bell Let's Talk Community Fund has been a game changer,
enabling us to research, develop and implement a comprehensive
volunteer program, which would have been virtually impossible to
have accomplished on our own," said Bo
Turpin, Director Clinical Services and Programming for
Upstream Ottawa. "With this support, our volunteers are able to
help our clients with a myriad of practical supports that are
central to their recovery."
"Thanks to the Bell Let's Talk Community Fund, 28 peer helpers
from Phobies-Zéro received 5 days of training on how to administer
a self-management program to help those struggling with anxiety in
their recovery," said Marie-Andrée Laplante, Founding President of Phobies-Zéro.
"Phobies-Zéro can now help a greater number of individuals with
anxiety by offering them a program whose benefits have been
proven."
"Rates of mental health conditions among people with an
intellectual or developmental disability may be 3 to 4 times higher
than the general population," said Danny
Soucy, New Brunswick Association of Community Living's
Executive Director. "Funding from Bell Let's Talk allowed us to
address the needs of those who may be affected by such a dual
diagnosis, and their families, by providing helpful and important
information and guidance."
The 2018 application period for Bell Let's Talk Community Fund
grants runs until March 31 and all
2018 grants will be disbursed before December 31, 2018. To learn more about the Bell
Let's Talk Community Fund and to apply for 2018 funding, please
visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Bell Let's Talk Day is January
31
We invite everyone to join the mental health
conversation on Bell Let's Talk Day. Bell will donate 5 cents to Canadian mental health programs for
each of these interactions on January
31, at no extra cost to participants:
- Text and talk: Every text message, mobile and long distance
call made by Bell Canada, Bell
Aliant and Bell MTS customers
- Twitter: Every tweet using #BellLetsTalk and Bell Let's Talk
Day video view
- Facebook: Every view of the Bell Let's Talk Day video at
Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk and use of the Bell Let's Talk frame
- Instagram: Every Bell Let's Talk Day video view
- Snapchat: Every use of the Bell Let's Talk filter and video
view
Bell Let's Talk Day 2017 set all-new records with 131,705,010
messages, growing Bell's funding for Canadian mental health by
$6,585,250.50. #BellLetsTalk was
Canada's top hashtag in 2017, and is now the most used Twitter
hashtag ever in Canada.
With approximately 729,065,654 interactions by Canadians over
the last 7 Bell Let's Talk Days, Bell's total commitment to mental
health, including an original $50-million anchor donation in 2010, has risen to
$86,504,429.05. Bell expects its
donation commitment to reach at least $100
million in 2020.
The Bell Let's Talk initiative promotes Canadian mental health
with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's
Talk Day, and provides significant Bell funding of community care
and access, research and workplace initiatives. To learn more about
the campaign, and to download the Bell Let's Talk toolkit to help
get the conversation started, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Media inquiries
Jacqueline Michelis
613-785-1427
jacqueline.michelis@bell.ca
@Bell_News
@Bell_LetsTalk
SOURCE Bell Canada