Smile Cookie Campaign Supports Peterborough Regional Health Centre For Mental Health

The Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign will support mental health care that will leave no frowns for the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) announced on Thursday.

Staff and Tim Hortons owners lined up outside the main entrance at PHRC with Smile cookies and signs. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Staff and Tim Hortons owners gathered outside the PHRC main entrance to make the announcement during Tim Hortons’ 25th anniversary of the Smile Cookie Campaign.

The annual fundraiser will run from Sept. 13-19 where the "Smile” cookies can be bought for one dollar apiece where all proceeds will go to the PHRC Foundation and mental health care.

You can purchase them in-store or by online pre-order by visiting PRHC’s website, printing the form and dropping it off at a participating Tim Hortons location.

Ryan Graham, Tim Hortons owner says the Smile Cookie campaign is a great way for their stores and customers to give back to their communities.

“Over the past 25 years, the Smile Cookie campaign has raised more than $60 million for charities, hospitals and community programs across the country - with a record-breaking $110 million in 2020, he said. “We believe it’s never been more important to make sure that people in our communities have access to these services close to home.

Melinda Wall (left) has been the director of mental health services since Jan. 2019. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Melinda Wall, PHRC director of mental health services expressed her happiness that mental health is being taken more seriously than it was in years past.

"Ten to 20 years ago, you wouldn't have seen a large campaign of this scale for mental health and addictions,” she said. “I think we have come leaps and bounds and are continuing to progress and just making it more something people can talk about and feel like we can rally behind and support our community."

The money will go towards several projects to help expand mental health services since there has been a spike in mental health patient admissions during the last decade according to Wall.

“One of the projects being key is our Crisis Unit,” she explained. “We are doubled in volume in the last 10 years and the space needs to be expanded. That's our number one campaign and additional outdoor space through our courtyard for our patient unit."

Leslie Heighway has been president and CEO for the PRHC Foundation for almost a decade. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Lesley Heighway, PRHC Foundation President and CEO said she was honoured to be this year’s recipient of the Tim Hortons fundraiser.

"We're just so thrilled. You can see the amount of engagement there is today with all of our team members with mental health services and all of the Tim Hortons owners,” she explained. “We couldn't be happier that we're going to invest these funds in PRHC and mental health in particular."

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New Foundation Music For Minds to Host Fundraiser at The Venue

Local musician Maxwell McWilliams is launching his new mental health foundation, Music for Minds, with a live performance at The Venue on Sept. 11.

Photo courtesy of Maxwell McWilliams

McWilliams started his journey as a local musician when he was 11 years old. He played in local bars and at Market Hall, opening for Max Gomez from Taos, NM.

In February 2020, McWilliams launched his solo headline campaign ‘The Maxwell McWilliams Music Administration for Mental Health Awareness’ which sold out Market Hall.

After his success in last year, McWilliams plans to continue fundraising for mental health.

“Mental health doesn’t stop regardless of what is going on in the world,” he said.

On Sept.11 at 7:30 p.m. McWilliams will perform at The Venue to kickstart his new foundation.

Music for Minds aims to improve the lives of young people suffering from mental illness through the power of music, says McWilliams.

“We just saw the tip of the iceberg with community support and raising awareness last year when we ran our campaign,” he explained. “We can’t stop at one show and one donation when there are so many seeking support in our local communities.”

This is an all-ages event with limited ticket sales due to COVID-19 restrictions.

To purchase tickets call the ticket hotline number at (705) 768-7036.

There are event sponsorship opportunities available, call the ticket hotline to inquire.

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Online Charity Event Concerning Children's Mental Health During Pandemic

Local vlogger and content creator Michelle Ferreri will hold a free online fundraiser to support children's mental health during the pandemic announced on Wednesday.

Michelle Ferrari currently has over 24,000 followers on her Facebook Page. Photo Courtesy of Michelle Ferrari.

The event, “A Virtual Conversation On Youth Mental Health and the Current Pandemic Crisis,” featuring child psychiatrist Dr. Jean Clinton is scheduled for June 18 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

It helps parents with tips and tools to help themselves and their children navigate through the pandemic and mental health crisis.

All proceeds will go towards Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation (GPHSF) as the event urges anyone to donate what they can for children’s mental health.

Dr. Jean Clinton is a Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University. Photo Courtesy of Michelle Ferreri.

The announcement was made after the Government of Ontario announced that there would be no return to in-class school prior to September due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Questions can be submitted prior to the event at hello@michelleferreri.com. The event will be live-streamed on her official Facebook page and will be available on Ferreri’s official website after the event.

If you would like to donate towards the cause, you can visit https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/health-services-foundation/campaign/michelle-ferreri-presents-dr-jean-clinton/. The goal is set at $5,000.

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Local Man Creates Virtual Fitness Challenge For Mental Health Awareness

Joe Keating of Peterborough has created the 4,000 Reps for Mental Health Awareness virtual fitness challenge to raise mental health awareness on Saturday.

Joe Keating ran the campaign saying working on mental health is as important as physical health. Photo Courtesy of Joe Keating.

Keating will perform 4,000 kettlebell swings on his front lawn (weather pending) live on Messenger Rooms — 1,000 times an hour for four hours — and encourages anyone to join.

The 4,000 reps can be anything so long as participants are physically active. Running 4,000 steps, jumping jacks or jump rope skips as some of many alternative exercises Keating suggests for the challenge.

He was diagnosed with clinical depression in 2015. He struggled and had a hard time with it before reaching out. Keating’s doctor advised him to do more physical activity to help him cope with his illness.

“I’m a certified kettlebell instructor,” he said. “It’s my go-to exercise. If I had a bad day, it’s something I can pick up, swing it and bang out a couple of reps to feel better.”

The pandemic has limited physical activity options and the event is another outlet to exercise according to Joe. Photo Courtesy of Joe Keating.

The campaign’s goal is to help erase the stigma of having a mental illness and open up a conversation about having one without feeling shame.

“I’ve always been very open about it,” said Keating. “Some people still seem to be too afraid to still talk about it and not talking about it can lead down to a dark path like suicide.”

There are approximately 4,000 suicides annually in Canada which is why the event encourages that many reps according to Keating.

Alexis Keating, 11, Joe’s daughter, will participate with her own kettlebell lifts for the event. Photo Courtesy of Joe Keating.

When the event was put on social media, the response was overwhelmingly positive in ways Keating had not anticipated.

“It was way bigger than what I was expecting. “ he said. “I thought it was going to be with family and friends and in my close-knit group. I have people from Vegas, Calgary and a team from Montreal going.”

If the event is successful, it could become an annual challenge that could include fundraising said Keating.

The free event will run on April 24 at 10:00 a.m. Head to the event’s Facebook Page for more details.

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Local Campaign for Mental Health and Fitness Explodes Overnight

What was supposed a neighbourhood project to get growing children to be active for mental health has turned into a city-wide campaign with sponsors and prizes on Monday.

PTBOCanada has become one of many sponsors to be a part of the free t-shirt giveaway and the campaign. Photo Courtesy of Mark Westlake.

Founded by Mark Westlake and stepdaughter Lili McAnerin, “Stay Strong and Be Positive” encourages youth from ages 10-16 to go outside and be active though anyone is encouraged to participate. The campaign will last until May 20, the date the Ontario shutdown will allegedly end.

Physical activity helps against the rising cases of declining mental health in that age group especially when the pandemic has limited outdoor play says Westlake.

“We’re looking for 10 to 16-year-olds to be outside and be active and limit more of their screen time where all the negativity is right now,” he said. “There’s so much negativity in the world, we wanted to create something more positive and see what influence we can do.”

Westlake’s children cycling atop Faryon Bridge at Trent University. Photo Courtesy of Mark Westlake.

The campaign originally had 500 free t-shirts made up for kids but with help of sponsors like Suzuki Canada, Cameron Cycle and Powell Powersports, the number has doubled to 1,000.

Westlake has got numerous amounts of calls from sponsors who want to be a part of the campaign. Daily prizes will be given for the kids aged 10-16 including a grand prize of a BMX bike and kayak both valued at $750 apiece given on the final day.

A fundraiser will be set up to raise money for youth charities says Westlake.

The shirts are given to families who have at least one participating child and come in the colours pink, red, orange and yellow.

“Maybe this is the something community needed to get the kids to get a little bit of encouragement to boost the morale in a positive way,” said Westlake. “You need that outlet, young or old.”

To participate, you can visit the Facebook page for more details as shirts are limited to the first 1,000 participants.

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Ontario Increases Mental Health Funding To Support Fleming College & Trent University Students

The Ontario government is providing a total of $695,894 to help increase access to mental health and addiction services for students at Fleming College and Trent University.

The funding will strengthen community partnerships, increase the number of mental health workers and programs, and immediately expand access for students to the provincial mental health and addictions system during COVID-19.

“There is no denying the added stresses the COVID-19 pandemic has presented to many post-secondary students in Peterborough-Kawartha, and throughout the Province,” says Peterborough-Kawartha MPP, Dave Smith.

“Having to pivot to learning almost exclusively online, and the difficulties that can arise when learning from home has been a challenge for student’s mental well-being,” Smith adds. “Despite this, I have been continuously impressed by both Trent University and Fleming College’s supports available to students. That is why I am thrilled to see this additional investment coming from the Province, so we can continue to address student’s well-being and ultimately help them achieve their goals.”

This funding is part of the province’s total investment of $26.25 million for mental health supports for postsecondary students in 2020-21. It will support more services for students on-campus and virtually and can also be used to address the needs of vulnerable and diverse groups, such as Indigenous students, LGBTQ students and students with disabilities. 

Providing mental health supports for postsecondary students is part of Ontario’s Roadmap to Wellness, the government’s plan to build a connected and comprehensive mental health and addiction system that ensures children, youth, and adults in Ontario receive appropriate services where and when they need them.

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How The Housing Partnership Between Trent & PRHC Is Welcome Relief For Nurses

Trent University was the first university in Ontario to have opened on-campus residence spaces to frontline workers, and it has had a great impact on many.

That includes Anna Harris, a registered nurse (RN) at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) who was assigned as one of the charge nurses on the designated COVID-19 inpatient unit in April. As a mother to three young children, it is her biggest fear to bring the virus home to her family.

Harris was looking into options that would allow her to isolate from her family, and when the partnership between PRHC and Trent University making residence rooms available for healthcare workers during the pandemic was announced, she says the news came as “a huge relief.” She was one of the first PRHC employees to move into Gzowski College.

Photo of Anna Harris at Gzowski College courtesy PRHC

“Making the decision to leave my house and move into Trent was not easy,” says Harris. “It’s an uncertain time. Everyone has their own decision to make, but with so many unknowns, I felt like moving into the university residence was the best decision for me and my family. The decision to self-isolate became the one thing I could control during this time.”

“I want to thank PRHC and Trent for making the transition to living away from home as easy as it could be,” adds Harris. “All the little things—the signage to guide us to the right parking lot, the visible security guards and amazing housekeeping staff, the welcome sign and even supplying laundry detergent for us—have made a big difference.”

Photo courtesy Trent University

Nicole Glover is an RN in the Emergency Department at PRHC, and an alumna from the Trent/Fleming School of Nursing. She has been taking advantage of the housing partnership to support herself and her family in a different way.

With two young kids at home, working night shifts can be difficult. Rather than staying at Trent full-time, Nicole has been using the residence as a place to rest when she’s working night shifts.

Photo of Nicole Glover courtesy PRHC

“The constant changes that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought at work, as well as to my personal life, have absolutely taken a physical, mental and emotional toll,” says Nicole. “Knowing that I can get a sound sleep at Trent when I’m working night shifts, and that there is a place for me to go if anything changes and I feel like my kids or family are at risk, is reassuring.”

As an alumna, this isn’t the first time that Nicole has found support as part of the Trent community. “I graduated from the Trent/Fleming School of Nursing in 2011 and had a great experience with the program,” she says. “The nursing faculty members were amazing and very approachable, and the program offered very applicable clinical experience. I was fortunate enough to get a job at PRHC right out of school with a temporary licence and was hired on full-time once I wrote my licensing exam.”

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Watch & Join In To The Entertainment Filled Community Event covAID On Saturday, May 16th

On Saturday, May 16th at 7 p.m., PTBOStrong invites you to tune into covAID, an entertainment filled evening to enjoy with the family at home with a mix of local musicians performing along with messages from community leaders and local celebrities.

100% of funds raised during covAID will flow through the COVID-19 Community Response Fund—established by the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough and United Way Peterborough & District—to charities providing mental health supports in our community.

“I have so many friends and business owners in the community who are suffering from mental health issues that are compounded by this crisis,” says Tim Burke of PTBOStrong, who is co-organizer of covAID with David Koski. “I thought that covAID would be a great opportunity to bring Peterborough and the Kawarthas together for a special night while raising vital funds for the COVID-19 Community Response Fund.”

On May 16th starting at 7 p.m., connect to PTBOStrong on Facebook or watch on Cogeco’s YourTV to enjoy great entertainment from local community leaders, musicians, artists and celebrities while donating online here.

"The pandemic has shown how strong our community is at coming together,” adds David Feeley, Senior Manager at YourTV Peterborough/Lindsay. "Being involved in this project and broadcasting covAid is something YourTV couldn't be more proud of.”
 
Donations received during covAID will go to local charities to help them respond to increased demand for counselling and other mental health supports and to deliver those services in innovative ways during the pandemic.

“For people already living with mental health challenges, COVID-19 has made it even harder to cope. For others, isolation, financial worries and uncertainty about the future are triggering anxiety and straining relationships," says John Good of Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough. "The COVID-19 Community Response Fund is a partnership between the Community Foundation, United Way Peterborough & District and local donors—helping charities provide mental health supports in new ways amid challenging circumstances."

covAid organizers encourage people to use the hashtags #CovaidPtbo and #PtboStrong on their social media platforms in the build-up to the event, and that night, and share what community and mental health means to you during this pandemic.

You can also get your official covAID merchandise here. 100% of funds raised from merchandise sales will go to COVID-19 Community Response Fund.

Everyone who can is also encouraged to make a donation to coVaid now or that night in support of mental health.

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Peterborough Paramedics Sign Partnership Agreement With Wounded Warriors Canada

Peterborough County-City Paramedics (PCCP) has announced the signing of a new partnership agreement with Wounded Warriors Canada (WWC), the well-known national mental health charity that provides vital mental health programs to support Veterans, First Responders and their families.

Under the agreement, Peterborough County-City Paramedics will share resources and identify or refer their members in need of mental health support to the programs offered by Wounded Warriors Canada.

Photo from Peterborough Paramedics announcement courtesy Wounded Warriors Canada

“Our top priority is the psychological and physical health and safety of our staff,” says PCCP Chief Randy Mellow. “This new partnership with Wounded Warriors Canada will allow us to expand upon on the support network we already have in place to ensure that our paramedics and their families are fully supported at their time of greatest need.”

First Responders are highly trained and skilled professionals who, due to the nature of their work, often face challenging situations that test their physical or mental health and safety. Wounded Warriors Canada’s innovative approach to mental health combines clinical best practices and evidence-informed care to create an environment of compassion, hope and resiliency for participants.

Scott Maxwell from Wounded Warriors and PCCP Chief Randy Mellow signing partnership agreement (Photo courtesy Wounded Warriors Canada)

“This partnership recognizes that no single organization can do it all when it comes to mental health support,” says Scott Maxwell, Executive Director of Wounded Warriors Canada.

“When a First Responder is struggling, what matters is that the member and their family knows that we are in this together—working to ensure they receive the help they so rightly deserve,” Maxwell adds. “We look forward to working with Peterborough County-City Paramedics in the months and years ahead.”

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PRHC & Otonabee Conservation Partner To Plant Trees & Pollinator Garden In Mental Health Courtyard At Hospital

Otonabee Conservation and Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) planted four trees and a pollinator garden in the new Mental Health Courtyard at PRHC on Wednesday (September 25th) for National Tree Day. These features will provide opportunities for patients and staff to benefit from the proven positive effects of trees and proximity to nature.

The four tree species selected are representative of the four seasons. In fall, the Autumn Blaze Maple will feature prominent red foliage; the White Spruce will provide greenery all winter long; a Crabapple tree represents spring, when its blooms are fragrant and showy; and a Gingko tree is a hearty, drought-tolerant tree for summer.

Photo courtesy Otonabee Conservation

“The health benefits of being close to nature are widely known,” says PRHC’s Christina Beatty. “There is a strong connection between seeing, hearing and experiencing nature, and reducing negative emotions. Many studies have shown that nature can help relieve stress, anxiety and depression. We are looking forward to bringing nature closer to our staff and patients at PRHC.”

In addition, a pollinator garden in the courtyard further enhances habitat and opportunities for patient engagement with nature. Native wildflower species including Bee Balm, Purple Coneflower and White Turtlehead will help attract butterflies, native bees and birds to the courtyard.

Photo courtesy Otonabee Conservation

The trees will provide habitat for wildlife as well, and complement the extensive naturalization projects previously undertaken by the hospital, in partnership with Otonabee Conservation.

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