Oh, where has the time gone?
It seems like the last year flew by (with the exception of the longest March of our lives)! With our communal banishment to new home offices (welcomed or not), the constant stream of Zoom meetings and virtual happy hours, and discoveries of new hobbies or DIY projects, the last year has been a wild ride. I know it’s been said a thousand times already but this has been undoubtedly one of the most unique and trying times that most of us will ever experience and while we are all experiencing the same storm, we are definitely not in the same boat.
For those of you that are new to our organization, Minds Over Matter was founded with the goal of addressing the preventative and educational gaps in today’s mental health care system. We aim to empower and educate individuals and communities in Calgary and the surrounding area by providing them with the tools, resources, and latest research in order to promote and enable a healthy life. We strive to continually develop our Partnerships with local and national organizations in order to provide Seniors, Businesses + Organizations, and Children + Youth in our community with affordable and accessible mental health resources, treatment, and education.
After settling into our new normal and with a delayed start to our new year, Minds Over Matter Mental Health Society is rising from the ashes of 2020 and pressing onward - come what may. Our team rang in the new year (2020) with a very successful Casino held at Pure Casino - a big thank you to all of our volunteers who came out and spent their New Year's Eve with us! With the success of the Casino, we have been able to take some big steps in developing our programming.
The rest of our year was spent working with our team of mental health professionals to design a new program which we were able to introduce in October of 2020! This program, Barrier-Free Counselling, was designed in order to help provide 18-30-year-olds who are in need of mental health support and not able to afford private therapy, with up to 8 paid for sessions with a registered psychologist. We are so proud to be able to offer this program, especially in the midst of the pandemic, and we are lucky enough to be able to continue this program into 2021 and are still taking applications - so if you or someone you know fits the criteria, head here to find out more and apply.
Our team is now looking towards the rest of 2021 with cautious optimism. We hope to continue on our path to progress and break down the barriers Calgarian's face in accessing mental health support.
This pandemic has undoubtedly created a whole new set of problems to which no one has the answers. It has wreaked havoc on our health care system, our livelihoods, the economy, and of course our mental health. It is glaringly obvious that the need for mental health care and affordable resources is at an all-time high and even more critical; it is fundamental to living a long, healthy life. I have to wonder if this pandemic (however unwelcomed that it is) has opened our eyes to the importance of providing uninhibited access to mental health support in our communities and has created a stepping stone for us to build upon in the near future?
Stay happy and healthy!