Fundraiser helps community mental health support in Sudbury
A cheque was presented to the Northern Initiative for Social Action, also known as NISA, on Thursday. It was money raised in the Defeat Depression Walk held back in May at Bell Park.
NISA is an organization that offers community mental health support and programs and peer-to-peer connections.
"We offer peer support. We do social support, art based learning art based recovery. We offer support on the phones when everything else is closed and people might be isolated and have mental health concern they can call in and do support with a peer," Martin Boucher, the executive director of NISA, told CTV News.
The Mood Disorders Society of Canada was on hand for the cheque presentation. Defeat Depression is a major national fundraiser for the non-profit that supports smaller community-based community mental health organizations like NISA.
"Individuals with mental illness need this kind of support and so across Canada we need to have some kind of an idea of how do we support these groups? How can we come together and let the federal government know and provincial government know the importance of small mental health organizations and the work that they do," Ken Porter, the national program manager with Mood Disorders Society of Canada, said.
Officials said there is great benefit in peer support that is offered at NISA with members all having lived experience with mental health challenges or illness.
"Human connection is important because mental illness has a tendency to make you feel isolated and it makes you feel like you are alone it makes you feel like you are disconnected from society," Porter said.
NISA believes in active recovery rather than passive dependence on community services, according to officials.
To learn more about NISA visit their website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
'Tactical evacuations' underway near Fort Nelson, B.C., as wildfires encroach
The BC Wildfire Service says 'tactical evacuations' began Friday near Fort Nelson, B.C., due to an out-of-control wildfire that has grown rapidly since it was discovered earlier in the afternoon.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.