one by one®: Canadian Mental Health Association Wood Buffalo Region
It’s a milestone year for Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Wood Buffalo Region. The charitable organization, based in Fort McMurray, Alberta, celebrates 30 years as a free mental health resource for its community.
“We’re an organization that is focused on mental health education, outreach services and just basically making sure people can connect and have a sense of hope and belonging when they are going through their mental health journey,” said Katie Reddy, mental health coordinator.
Fostering connections
Wood Buffalo Region’s CMHA office, which includes Reddy and seven other employees, is part of the larger CMHA network—a nationwide charitable organization founded more than 100 years ago. Each office provides mental health services, including peer support, education and referrals. It doesn’t offer counseling services but serves as a stopgap in the healthcare system to assist people who are struggling.
“Our philosophy is recovery is possible for everyone,” Reddy said. “It’s a journey, not a destination. And we’re all about human connection and being together, so people never have to feel alone on their journey.”
While based in Fort McMurry, a city with a population of about 65,000, CMHA Wood Buffalo Region serves a much larger geographical area that includes small, rural and often Indigenous communities. Some, Reddy said, require a plane or boat ride to visit.
Beyond the daily mental health needs required in any community, the Wood Buffalo Region suffered a traumatic event in 2016, when wildfires destroyed thousands of homes and buildings and forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate. As a result—and recurrences of wildfires in the area—the services of Reddy’s team have been in high demand. “When we have these events, people knowing they can connect with us has been huge for our community,” she said. “Everyone is impacted differently, and we do everything we can to meet the need.”
Increasing familiarity with promotional tablecloths
CMHA Wood Buffalo Region used a one by one grant to purchase table throws and runners for use at its many community outreach events. Each CMHA office relies on its own donations, fundraising and grants, and receives no federal funding. That means, much like many charitable organizations, the budget is tight.
“The importance of something as simple as a tablecloth probably wouldn’t occur to a lot of people,” Reddy said. “But for us, it’s absolutely massive. Being able to increase our visibility has been amazing.”
A note from Cheryl
Congratulations to CMHA Wood Buffalo Region on 30 years of providing essential mental health resources to its community. We were proud to help the organization increase visibility at events by providing promotional tablecloths. If you’re interested in a one by one grant, visit onebyone.4imprint.ca.