Millions of Canadians and people around the world joined together on Bell Let’s Talk Day and took action to create positive change, growing the global conversation and resulting in more Bell donations for Canadian mental health.
In January 2022, Bell Let’s Talk announced almost $8 million in funding for new mental health projects:
- $1.5 million in funding from the Bell-Graham Boeckh Foundation Partnership will help Foundry improve integrated health and social services for youth and their families and caregivers in BC and support other emerging Integrated Youth Services initiatives around the country.
- Following the release of the National Standard of Canada for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students (itself funded in part by Bell), a further $1 million in implementation grants were awarded to 16 universities, colleges and cégeps that are using the Standard to address specific gaps or needs in their mental health support services by building new initiatives.
- $600,000 to 6 new recipients of the Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund, a $5 million commitment launched in July 2020 to support the mental health and well-being of BIPOC communities across Canada.
- Fondation CERVO will use $250,000 from Bell Let’s Talk to acquire a second rTMS machine to significantly increase the number of people receiving rTMS treatment in Québec City and the surrounding region.
- With previous support from Bell Let’s Talk, Red Cross Canada announced the expansion of the Friendly Calls program with cultural adaptation for Indigenous communities in Manitoba and around Canada.
- 5 multidisciplinary teams were selected to receive funding from the $4 million Bell Let’s Talk-Brain Canada Mental Health Research Program to develop more effective, sustainable, and accessible mental health care solutions for all people living in Canada.
- A $370,000 donation, in partnership with the Government of Yukon and Northwestel, to Strongest Families Institute to support child, youth and adult mental health in Yukon.
- In 2021, the campaign reflected the profound impact COVID-19 had on our mental health and focused on the message that when it comes to mental health, now more than ever, every action counts. In 2022, Bell Let’s Talk Day continued to focus on action, encouraging Canadians to keep talking, listening and being there for themselves and for one another.
- Every Bell Let’s Talk Day, Bell donates 5 cents to Canadian mental health programs for every eligible call, text and social media message of support for action in mental health, at no cost to participants other than what they may normally pay their service provider for phone, text or internet access. On our most recent Bell Let’s Talk Day, Canadians and people around the world set all-new records for engagement in the mental health conversation, sharing 164,298,820 messages of support.
- The additional $8,214,941 generated by the messaging total brought Bell’s overall funding commitment to $129,588,747.75, well on the way to our objective of at least $155 million by 2025.
- Many communities and partner organizations across the country took part in Bell Let’s Talk flag raisings to show their support for mental health and to highlight supports available in their communities. More than 180 flags were raised by cities, towns and legislative assemblies; universities and colleges; hospitals and other public facilities; and by the Canadian Armed Forces, including at CFS Alert near the North Pole and by the crew onboard the deployed HMCS Montréal.
Making a difference all year round
Bell Let’s Talk is active year round funding organizations in every province and territory that are working to reduce stigma, improving access to mental health care and undertaking critical research. Bell has partnered with more than 1,300 hospitals, universities, national associations and local community service providers since 2010.
In May 2021, Bell announced a five-year $1 million donation to Rise Asset Development to empower entrepreneurship for Canadians with mental health and addiction challenges. Building on Bell’s earlier support for Rise programs, the gift is enabling Rise to engage even more Canadians with mental health and addiction challenges in entrepreneurship training, mentorship and lending and supports the organization’s expansion into Manitoba with the launch of Rise Winnipeg.
Spring 2021 saw 6 recipients of the new Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund unveiled with $750,000 in donations distributed. During Mental Health Week, we also launched the From Where We Stand: Conversations on Race and Mental Health podcast series, which explores the mental health challenges and barriers to accessing care faced by BIPOC communities.
Bell Let’s Talk continues to spotlight the work of our mental health partners in a variety of ways, including through the Bell for Better campaign. In 2021, we featured the stories of Jack.org advocate Jay Legaspi and Kids Help Phone Indigenous Advisory Council member Ashley Cummings, who are working to transform mental health for Canadian youth.
The Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund has now provided $15 million to 888 organizations nationwide since 2011, enabling partners to improve access to mental health care, supports and services.
Since 2013, the Bell True Patriot Love Fund has provided more than $2 million and over 115 grants to organizations across the country improving access to mental health care to military members, Veterans and their families. In 2021, a total of $350,000 was awarded to 11 organizations making a meaningful difference in the military community.
Please visit Bell.ca/letstalk opens in a new window to learn more about how Bell is supporting Canadian mental health every day of the year.
