All in for young adults on Giving Tuesday 2019
All in for Young Adults on Giving Tuesday
A hotel room in Arizona was one of the loneliest places to be for Lori McBurney. For four and a half months, Lori made the trip each weekend to see her daughter who was receiving mental health services not available in Canada. She had to leave her other two children behind. And her marriage had ended. Yet Lori considers herself one of the lucky ones because she was able to afford the trips and the treatment. And her daughter is well. “Mental health care should not be for the elite,” she says, “It’s not fair!”
Lori also knows about the stigma of mental illness and the importance of breaking the cycle. She speaks openly about her family’s mental health history and her own struggles with addiction. It is from this deep place of knowing and empathy that she wants to effect change. “If you are a mother, there is not a choice,” she says. “There is no choice about what you are going to do.”
Stella’s Place is the result of a mother’s determination and an example that change is possible if enough people rally behind an idea. And Lori is fully in, challenging people to donate like never before by offering to match every dollar donated between now and Giving Tuesday, December 3rd.
“I donate to Stella’s Place because I know – from my own experience as a young adult – how accessible mental health care can change the course of a person’s life, from a place of crippling anxiety to empowerment.”
– Kathryn Elton
Stella’s Place is making a difference, offering services and hope to hundreds of young people who have not been able to access care or have disengaged from other services.
At Stella’s Place, young adults often quickly engage with the range of supports available, including intensive evidence-based interventions such as DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy), which stabilize their mental health and assist with emotion regulation and managing distress.
“This program changed my life. I am more proactive about everything in my life: my relationships, my job, my mental wellness and my education.”
– Stella’s Place Participant
With your help we can better meet the growing demands for mental health services for young adults. We are so grateful for Lori’s generous matching gift offer and hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to double the impact of your gift. With your help, we will be able to provide critical supports and services to some 1,200 young adults in 2020. Thank you!
