Community Impact: Supporting Mental Health

Did you know...

• 1 in 5 individuals in Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga will experience a mental health illness in their lifetime and those living with mental health issues are vulnerable to unemployment, poverty and abuse.
• 10 to 25 per cent of seniors living in Peel experience mental health issues.
• Mental health issues contribute to suicide, which is the second leading cause of death for Canadians aged 10-24 year-olds.
• In Peel children needing mental health services wait six to eight months for counseling, 12 to 15 months for specialized sexual abuse treatment, and eight to 10 months for day treatment.

Your donation to United Way of Peel Region’s Community Fund helps ensure that individuals who are affected by mental health issues are supported. In 2010, your donations helped United Way provide counselling, support, self-esteem, skills training and employment opportunities to more than 26,000 individuals living with mental illness.

By investing in programs and services that increase community awareness, together we help those dealing with mental health issues to develop coping skills and abilities that enable them to participate in society.

United Way recognizes the role of stigma in the community and the impact that stigma has on individuals affected by mental health. For this reason United Way is working to establish The Mental Health Roundtable to collaborate with community partners to identify impactful solutions to address mental health challenges facing Peel.

Help us continue to ensure that Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga is a thriving region where everyone is cared for, connected and included and no one is left behind. Please give generously today.

Supporting Hailey

Less than six months after the birth of his daughter Hailey, Steve Ford was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, an illness that causes dramatic shifts in mood, energy, thinking and behaviour from mania to depression and back again.

Steve got the help he needed to stabilize his condition through a combination of counselling and medication.

“Mental illness doesn’t just impact the individual,” says Steve’s wife Trudi. “It impacts the entire family.”

The Family Association for Mental Health Everywhere (FAME), a United Way funded agency that provides counselling and resources to families coping with mental health issues, provided the necessary supports both Trudi and Hailey needed.

Today, Hailey, a first grade student, attends weekly counselling sessions at FAME to talk about any concerns she has and to gain an understanding of her father’s mood swings.

“It is vital to us that she knows that my illness is in no way her fault,” says Steve. “Fame has helped her to understand mental illness in an age appropriate way.”

Purolator donation inspired by United Way tour

Purolator CEO Tom Schmitt hands off the keys for donated truck to Eden Community Food Bank Executive Director Bill Crawford.

A recent tour of United Way funded agencies by Purolator representatives inspired the company to donate a curbside truck to the Eden Community Food bank (ECFB) in Mississauga.

During the United Way tour, Purolator representatives witnessed firsthand the day-to-day hurdles the ECFB team faces. Following the inspirational visit, Purolator made a commitment to donate a retired curbside truck and engaged their longstanding fleet partners to donate their services to ensure the truck was road-ready. The truck will assist the food bank in delivering 30,000 pounds of food to feed more than 500 families in Western Mississauga every month.

Young Leaders Council co-chair selected for DiverseCity Fellows

Congratulations to United Way of Peel Region’s Young Leaders Council Executive Co-Chair Diane Saldanha who has been selected to participate in the 2012 DiverseCity Fellows program. Diane applied for the 2012 DiverseCity Fellows program with the support of United Way of Peel Region.The GTA-based leadership program brings together city-builders to implement projects to improve the region. The 28 city-builders selected will have access to leadership development opportunities, networks and inspiration.

Click here to learn more about the DiverseCity Fellows program.

Click here to learn more about United Way of Peel Region’s Young Leaders Council.

Last year, over 35 youth in Peel were empowered to build their leadership skills and confidence through R.H.Y.T.H.M, a youth-led hip-hop dance program supported through the Youth in Action Grants. This project, led by Damon Pfaff, 24, consisted of 24 classes, where curriculum included dance lessons, discussions, leadership development, lectures and performances. The project culminated with youth being able to share their new skills at a live performance at Celebration Square in Mississauga. Feedback from the program was very positive: “This program was really amazing! I hope that it happens again next year!” said participant, Josh Demedeiros.

Thanks to the Youth in Action Grants, it will. R.H.Y.T.H.M is one of 10 youth-led community projects are receiving funding of up to $2,000 through Youth in Action grants jointly funded by the United Way of Peel Region and the Region of Peel. These projects include a mentoring program, a photography project focusing on social injustice, and a one-day workshop for secondary school students on youth action and philanthropy. The grants are awarded annually to recognize youth between the ages of 14 and 24 that are making a positive impact in their community through various projects. This marks the third consecutive year that these grants have been awarded.

“It is great to see so many youth making a difference in their community,” says Amanda Bordonaro, Co-Chair of the Youth in Action Review Panel and Executive Member of United Way’s Young Leaders Council. “All of the grant recipients have demonstrated tremendous leadership and it is important that we recognize and nurture their achievements. The youth are the future leaders of Peel Region. It is an amazing feeling to know that there are so many young people dedicated to making a positive impact in the region.”

The Youth in Action Grant program was developed by United Way of Peel Region’s Young Leaders Council, a group of volunteers between the ages of 20-35 years old who are committed to creating a legacy of volunteerism and spirited giving within the Peel Region.

In addition to R.H.Y.T.H.M., the following projects will receive Youth in Action grants: Arts for Change Talent Show, Aspire, Human Billboard Project, Job Search Readiness, Mix It Up, Peel Environmental Youth Alliance's "Kill Your Bill" Program, Slice, The Fish Project and Youth Productions.

$104 supports a person with an intellectual disability to try an activity for the first time.

$260 allows two children to participate in a 10 week social skills training program to help in the development of appropriate social skills.

$260 provides 20 families with a Family Resource Tool Kit with valuable tools on how to navigate the mental health system, manage crisis, stay organized in helping their family member cope with a serious mental illness and become familiar with local resources.

$390 provides 10 children with a backpack filled with items such as personal hygiene products, a coping & crisis kit and art supplies to help them cope as a family member struggles with mental illness.

$520 provides 75 family members/ caregivers with a much needed break by covering the cost of one regional holiday party to give them respite and enable them to get together with other families outside of the support group atmosphere to share in community life.

$1,170 provides one educational speaker event for 100 family members and caregivers so they can gain relevant information on the Ontario Disability Support Program, Drug Interaction, Crisis Management, Navigating the Court System to enable them to make informed decisions and increase their coping abilities.

$1,800 provides special supplies and activities to one child that has been recently diagnosed as autistic.

$5,000 allows 15 couples or families to attend counselling so that they can improve their relationships.

Feb. 9 - Community Achievement Celebration