On September 13, 2022 some 300 people attended the Youth Mental Health Forum at Linamar's Centre for Excellence, hosted by the Children's Foundation, The Grove Hubs, and CMHA-Waterloo Wellington. It was remarkable to see and hear the wish for community collaboration across all spheres.
PRE-PANDEMIC, WE WERE ALREADY IN A STATE OF MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS and it has only become worse now.
The guest presenters at this forum included Ontario's Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Michael Tibollo, plus Dr. Joanna Henderson, Executive Director of Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario. Also present were our Education Board Directors, MPP, Mayor, two City councillors, and several others (including youth representatives) who participated in the panel discussion. Many service agencies and organizations (including a number of Rotarians from our club) attended, too.
It was heartening to hear across-the-board shared visions, and to see how much the community cares about this issue. Said Mayor Cam Guthrie, "A highlight for me was the youth who spoke about empowerment and engagement, and encouraged the group to "keep rooting for us.” The challenges are big, but so is our determination to meet them."
