KGH and The Canadian Mental Health Association - "Foster hope to move forward"

We sat down with the newly appointed CEO of the KGH Foundation, Allison Ramchuk, and Director of Community Engagement of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Jessica Samuels, to discuss why they came together to support the community and the issues that it’s facing.“How do we design a future that’s going to impact the issue and move forward while ending the cycle of needing more and more…”Allison explains that the non-profits came together to better tackle the issues of mental health in our community. They are in conversations with other partners, asking the big questions, and deciding on what steps they can take to provide and foster hope.50% of Canadians and a slightly higher proportion of British Columbians report having had deteriorating mental health over the last few years, with vulnerable populations being the hardest hit, making their mission all the more important.They discuss Foundry Kelowna, a wellness centre for people aged 12-24 and their families to receive help and support when they need it. They noted that in the 5 years since it began running, there has been an increase in the number of parents seeking help. Jessica questions how they can look at things differently and design a continuum of care, as well as a way to approach things differently so they’re not needing more and more resources.Their ultimate goal with the collaboration is to work together to support the community, and their first step is putting together an action plan to raise $1.7M to provide immediate support, position the organization to have important conversations, and identify the most significant issues.They hope in one year to be able to support the immediate needs of the community and help those who are struggling. Listen to the conversation below to learn more about the collaboration and their mission to foster hope to move forward in the community.