South County Co-op locations across southern Alberta will be covering store windows with paper hearts in support of local mental health initiatives through the Alberta Mental Health Foundation.--NEWS PHOTO BRENDAN MILLER
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
Throughout February all 31 South County Co-op locations plan to cover store windows with paper hearts, available for $2, as part of a campaign aimed at raising funds for local programs and initiatives that support people dealing with mental health issues.
“Communities in Mind” started in 2020, however this year Medicine Hat, Brooks and Lethbridge have joined the campaign that raises funds through Co-op members for the Alberta Mental Health Foundation.
The provincial foundation offers services to help Albertans dealing with addictions, mental health crises, family violence and suicide prevention, as well as several youth and online support programs.
“The campaign is a true reflection of the compassion and generosity of our community members who understand the importance of mental health support,” says Carmen Hudson, South Country’s director of marketing and community relations. “There’s just so many aspects to mental health and it just continues to grow and grow, and the need is just getting greater.”
Donors are encouraged to write their name or a loved one on their paper heart, or an organization they support and would like to represent.
“If we can somehow help that then I’m proud to be part of that,” says Hudson. “Every little $2 heart that somebody buys make a difference in somebody else’s life.”
In-store and online donations will all be tracked by postal code and the money raised will directly support local mental health initiatives.
“Any donation made at any one of our sites, or if people choose to donate online, as long as the postal code is in our trading-area, those funds are earmarked for mental health organizations in our trading area,” explains Hudson.
Money raised throughout the campaign will be donated to the Alberta Mental Health Foundation’s Little Things Fund. That money will be dispersed to local mental health groups and organizations accordingly.
Locally, representatives with South Country Co-op say they have identified a large gap in support for people dealing with and supporting others with mental health issues in Medicine Hat and surrounding communities.
At the end of 2023, the Post Thrift Store, which supported the Canadian Mental Health Association, closed its doors after serving Medicine Hat for more than 44 years.
The location also hosted several mental health support groups for people living with and caring for mental health illnesses conditions.
“There’s this huge demographic of people that are not being served accordingly,” says Hudson. “Men, specifically boys and men. Even the ag community where they’re not encouraged to share their emotion or their feelings, that’s a really scary thing.
“I think that if we can contribute to something that allows somebody a safe space or resources to help them cope or get past a situation and move ahead in their life, then you know we’ve done our job.”
Co-op plans to follow up with groups that received funding in order to provide a report to members who donated to the campaign.
Since 2020, “Communities in Mind” has raised more than $131,000 for mental health and addictions resources across the province to support services, develop new programs and connect with Albertans struggling with mental health and addiction issues.
