Got a Gift To Give?

If you’re reading this, chances are that mental health is already important to you. And given that one in five Canadians will experience some form of mental illness at some point in their lives – we think mental health is a cause that almost everyone can relate to.

There are dozens of gift-giving opportunities through the year... and we’d like to make a case for you to make the gifts you give this year be in the form of a donation to MDAO, in the name of your friend or loved one.  After all, who needs more stuff?

• It's easy to do;
• You receive a tax receipt (donations over $10);
• You'll be helping to raise awareness and understanding of depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, and the importance of peer support and recovery in communities across Ontario;
• Your money is put to good use: All of the peer support and recovery programs provided by MDAO are offered at no cost; 
• We need your support: The Ministry of Health & Long Term Care and the Local Health Integration Network covers about half of our program and operating costs. the other half?The balance of our funding comes through the supremely generous support of people much like you – members, volunteers, corporate sponsors who support our fundraising initiatives, and through a variety of program grants (which are time-consuming, unique-every-time applications written almost entirely by volunteers).

But why give? 

 Because the work we do – peer recovery and support – deserves your support. The medical view of mental illness tends to teach people about symptoms, and leaves individuals constantly ‘on guard’ for what might happen to them should they start to get ‘sick’.  Ours is a model of hope, healing and recovery that provides a different world view, through the lens of “the lived experience”. There’s an excellent paper written by Phyllis Solomon, Ph.D, that presents a multitude of well-researched benefits of peer support and peer-provided programs --for peer recipients, peer providers and the mental health system. The benefits are vast starting with participants and rippling in the best of ways through families, workplaces, communities, and reducing costs across the entire healthcare system.

So… for all those gift-giving occasions, please consider a donation to MDAO in the name of your friends and loved ones. We appreciate your generous support!