MONTREAL — Bell Let’s Talk has made a $1-million donation to Kids Help Phone to enhance ongoing crisis support for young people coping with mental health challenges during the Covid-19 crisis and beyond, the organizations announced today.
As the need for mental health support has surged during the crisis, Kids Help Phone has continued to ramp up its crisis responder and professional counselling capacity, enhanced its texting platform and created a range of self-directed online resources. With a 58% overall increase in demand during Covid-19 and text interactions up 62%, Kids Help Phone says it expects to make three million connections with young people this year, compared to 1.9 million in 2019, says the news release.
“This Bell Let’s Talk funding will support Kids Help Phone in delivering its expanded frontline responses for youth in crisis now and into the future,” said Mary Deacon, chair of Bell Let’s Talk, in the release. “As a founding partner of Kids Help Phone more than 30 years ago, we’re proud to work with this great organization to ensure young people have access to the mental health supports they need, especially in the face of the unprecedented challenges of the Covid-19 situation.”
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, the volume of young people reaching out continues to soar with concerns around isolation, grief, discrimination, abuse and self harm. Times are tough and the issues with young people are heavier and more complex than ever,” added Katherine Hay, president and CEO of Kids Help Phone. “We’re grateful to Bell Let’s Talk for their commitment to mental health and helping millions of young people across this country to access support 24/7 — a positive impact that will ripple through communities for years to come.”
In March, Bell announced a $5-million increase in Bell Let’s Talk funding in response to Covid-19, with support for five organizations delivering mental health support on the frontlines of Canadian communities, including Kids Help Phone, Canadian Mental Health Association, Canadian Red Cross, Revivre and Strongest Families Institute.
