The Canadian Mental Health Association in Windsor-Essex County is launching a new campaign encouraging the community to show their soles in support of mental health.
"It's about being able to start the conversation, to simply whether you're at a party or you're at home with your family. To be able to encourage people to talk about their feelings," says CMHA Windsor-Essex CEO Claudia den Boer.
The campaign uses community ambassadors like the Windsor Spitfires and Windsor Police Service to spread the message about the importance of seeking help when needed.
"We are much more quick to want to talk about our heart health or a sore back and we're going to a chiropractor. So really what we want is for people to feel that brain health is equally as important," says den Boer.
The campaign aims to raise $500,000 for community programming and training and reduce the stigma surrounding accessing mental health care.
"The dollars are really going to be used to sponsor the training sessions, the workshops, being able to attend health fairs, to get out the print materials," says den Boer.
Although the campaign was only officially launched today it has already raised over $109,000. They hope to have all of the funds raised in three years.
