GUELPH – The Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington (CMHA WW) recently announced it has received a donation of $50,000 from Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada.
With the significant impact COVID-19 has had on mental health, Toyota’s donation will help address the increasing need for supports for both frontline workers and the general public, states a CMHAWW press release.
While the association was able to shift many programs and services online during the pandemic, virtual services don’t work for everyone. They have seen a 30% increase in HERE 24/7 call volumes, and Toyota’s donation will go towards helping with this community need.
“CMHAWW staff is working tirelessly to offer safe and reliable support to the community, and (Toyota’s) donation will help us continue to meet the growing demand for mental health and addictions services,” states Helen Fishburn, executive director of CMHWW.
The donation will also be directed to Here 4 Help, a CMHAWW web resource created in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Big thanks – From left: CMHA WW Nursing staff Lorraine Silvani, Jasmine Lehman, and Anita Brunsting say thank you to Toyota for its $50,000 donation.
Submitted photos
With categories for parents, seniors, caregivers, employers/employees, healthcare workers, and more, Here 4 Help offers curated information to help manage day to day during the pandemic. In addition, the healthcare worker portal offers hotlines, crisis support, counselling, as well as self-care information.
“(Toyota’s) team members are motivated to help respond to emerging needs as a result of the pandemic,” said Derek Kidnie, Toyota’s vice president, administration. “When we heard about this program, providing the mental health resources that are in such high demand and specialized support for healthcare workers, we knew that we needed to help our local Canadian Mental Health Association.”
