Henry's Foundation is Putting Mental Health into Focus - National Registered Charity launches campaign telling Canadians "It's ok NOT to be ok"
TORONTO, Sept. 29, 2020 /CNW/ - Unlike physical illness, mental illness is often difficult to see and the Henry's Foundation is helping to put the mental health of all Canadians into focus. Proudly supported by the family owned and operated Henry's Camera, the Henry's Foundation aims to raise awareness and funds for its national partners, Kids Help Phone and Jack.org, as well as its regional partners, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation in Vancouver, Douglas Foundation in Quebec and the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia.
"For six months we've seen an enormous surge in mental health service requests via phone and text from youth across the country experiencing anxiety, fear and isolation. Since March we have seen 73% increase in conversations about body image" said, Jenny Yuen, VP, National Partnerships, Kids Help Phone. "With Fall upon us, and cases of COVID-19 continuing to rise – so does the demand for our services. We are incredibly proud to partner with Henry's Foundation on this very insightful campaign. Our hope is that through #uncapturedmoments people of all ages can feel reassured that they are never alone, with 24/7 access to mental health supports."
Today the Henry's Foundation launched a digital campaign called #uncapturedmoments to help shift the narrative away from the perfection that is so prevalent online. By presenting images of people's direct or indirect struggles with mental illness, the campaign strives to show Canadians that it's ok to not be ok.
"We so often see people posting only their best moments on social media, which is not always an accurate reflection of their lives" said Amy Stein, Executive Director of the Henry's Foundation. "This campaign encourages people to share their #uncapturedmoments and to help foster a community where there is no longer a stigma surrounding mental illness."
Stein hopes that Canadians will be inspired to upload their images to social media using the hashtag #uncapturedmoments. "Henry's has been supporting creators since 1909 and we are looking to build a community of people who want to help address mental health issues and can tap into their creativity to do so," said Stein. "The pandemic has given us a greater appreciation of our vulnerabilities and our need to work together. The #uncapturedmoments campaign gives us a new vehicle to offer support." The Henry's Foundation and Henry's Camera will be sharing the images on their social media channels and posting them to the Henry's Foundation website at henrysfoundation.com/moments.
"We are incredibly excited and honoured to partner with the Henry's Foundation. Jack.org has always leaned into the power of multimedia storytelling to create and amplify vital dialogues around mental health, which seamlessly fits into the Henry's Foundation's goals," said Jesse Hayman, VP, Jack.org. "Our partnership will fuel over 3,000 young leaders as they identify and dismantle barriers to positive mental health across every province and territory and provide young people in Canada with the mental health knowledge and skills they need to take care of their own mental health and look out for one another."
The mission of the Henry's Foundation and the #uncapturedmoments campaign will be highlighted in all 22 Henry's stores across Canada and online at Henrys.com. Donations can be made online at henrysfoundation.com/donate, at all Henry's retail locations and during checkout on henrys.com
About the Henry's Foundation
The Henry's Foundation is a new Canadian registered charity that works with a network of partners in supporting the improvement of mental health for Canadians everywhere. Founded in 2019 by the Stein family, the Henry's Foundation is proudly supported by the Henry's retail organization – a family-owned company that helps Canadians focus on creativity and bringing beauty to the world through the medium of photography and content creation. Henry's Foundation aims to make an impact to those suffering with these challenges and to unify support of mental health initiatives across the country.
For more information visit henrysfoundation.com or follow us @thehenrysfoundation. Media Kits are available by request.
Charitable Registration Number: 796030070 RR0001
SOURCE Henry's Enterprises Inc.
