Hands theFamilyHelpNetwork.ca is hosting a party to launch Mental Health Week and everyone is invited to join in the fun on May 4, with events in North Bay from noon to 2 pm, and in Sundridge from 2 to 4 pm.
Mental Health Week runs from May 6 – 10 in Canada.
This year, the Canadian Mental Health Association is positioning the celebrations around A Call to be Kind, because compassion connects us all. Hands is inviting the community to share in some kindness and compassion together with activities that connect us to each other and nature.
“We are excited to welcome our community to share in some fun and kindness in support of Mental Health Week,” said Margaret Goodwin, Manager, Child and Youth Mental Health Services at Hands. “We all need to remember the power of kindness and compassion, especially when there are so many concerns we are all facing in this world. Everyone has the capacity to be kind, and we never really know what someone might be going through in their own life, or with their own mental health. Sometimes a small gesture of kindness can have an incredibly positive impact on someone in need.”
Activities in North Bay, at the Hands building (391 Oak Street):
- Plant a flower of your own to take home
- Paint a quilt
- Games and Activities
- Kids Short TV Shows
- Popcorn machine (courtesy OutLoud)
- Firetruck (courtesy North Bay Fire and Emergency Services)
- Giveaways
- And of course prizes!
Activities in Sundridge, at the SSJ Arena (14 Albert Street North):
- Plant a flower of your own to take home
- Hockey Arena Mini Stick
- Movie: Inside Out
- Colouring Station
Did you know:
- As many as 1 in 5 children and youth in Ontario will experience some form of mental health problem.
- 28% of students report not knowing where to turn when they want to talk to someone about mental health.
- Canada's youth suicide rate is the third highest in the industrialized world.
