The Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia is marking a funding milestone— having provided more than $1,000,000 in Community Funding for the first time in the organization’s history. The achievement was celebrated this morning at the Foundation’s 2019-2020 Annual General Meeting.
"The generosity of our donors goes far beyond the million dollar mark," says Starr Cunningham, President and CEO of the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia. "This overwhelming support allows Nova Scotians living with mental illness and addiction to rediscover a sense of self, find joy in their everyday lives, and most importantly to have hope for the future."
The significant contributions of Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia friends and supporters were also recognized. Vision Awards were presented to seven individuals in the following categories: Partners in our Vision (Fire Inside Leadership: Sandi Roberts and Julian Young), Outstanding Volunteer (Iain MacKay, Pellerine Tournament of Hearts) and Outstanding Achievement (The First Responders- Hon. David Wilson, Deputy Chief Don MacLean, Supt. Dustine Rodier, and 911 Dispatcher Lana Grant ).
Since 2006, the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia has provided more than $5.5 million in funding through its grants program in support of organizations that provide hope and eradicate the stigma surrounding mental illness and addiction. The Foundation’s funded programs reduce barriers and increase access to mental health supports and services throughout Nova Scotia. They include counselling and recovery, BIPOC-focused initiatives, mental health literacy, employment and life skills training, recreation and music therapy, peer support, leadership, resiliency and 2SLGBTQIA programs. Last year's grants provided more than 6700 hours of mental health support; impacting an estimated 21,500 individuals directly and more than 235,000 indirectly.
The Foundation looks forward to a successful 2020-2021 year. The Foundation’s 2019-2020 Community Report can be viewed at CR2020.mentalhealthns.ca.