January 29, 2020 is Bell Let’s Talk Day; a day that has created a platform to discuss the important topic of mental health. It is important to join the conversation today and throughout the year, as so many people are affected by mental illness in some way, either directly or through a friend, family member or colleague. By sharing stories and experiences, we can challenge stereotypes, reduce stigmas and create a more inclusive community for everyone.
One in five Canadians experience a form of mental illness and each year, Bell Canada promotes the Bell Let’s Talk campaign to raise awareness and provide important funding to support mental health programs. For each applicable text, call, tweet, social media video view and use of Bell Canada’s Facebook and Snapchat filters, Bell Canada will donate five cents to mental health initiatives.
This campaign has started conversations across the country, including more than one billion interactions since it started in 2010. It has also helped approximately 3,409,680 Canadians access mental health care through partnerships with more than 1000 organizations. Additionally, it has created 657 community fund grants, to help established organizations continue to deliver essential mental health services.
To learn more about Bell Let’s Talk Day and how you can join the conversation, visit letstalk.bell.ca (external link).
In Halton, there are many supports and programs available to residents if you are struggling with mental illness. I encourage you to use the resources available to you to, such as the Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Region Branch (external link), Thrive Counselling (external link) and Distress Centre Halton (external link) to receive the support you need.
I also encourage everyone to continue to have conversations about mental health with your family, friends and colleagues. By breaking the silence together, we make Halton a great place to live, work, raise a family and retire.