United Way BC is offering up $250,000 for groups focusing on youth mental health services. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

VITAL SUPPORTS

Youth mental health & Indigenous supports in focus for latest round of United Way grants

Apr 24, 2022 | 6:51 AM

NANAIMO — A quarter million dollars in grant money is being reserved for organizations with a focus toward mental health supports and Indigenous services.

The United Way of B.C. are accepting applications for charitable grants with half the $250,000 earmarked for organizations working with Indigenous kids and youth.

Julie Rushton, United Way’s community impact manager for the central and northern Island, said this year they wanted to do something reflective of the needs of the community.

“We wanted to look at Truth and Reconciliation and wanted to do something that could move us towards that direction. So we took the $250,000 grant application and divided it in two.”

The first half for Indigenous kids and youth will also include organizations working with Métis, Inuit, and other First Nations.

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A second $125,000 pool is reserved for child and youth mental health services.

“We know that children and youth, who are already vulnerable, have been seriously impacted by COVID in terms of their mental health.” Rushton told NanaimoNewsNOW. “We know that organizations that provide services to those who are more vulnerable, we know that they are actively reaching that demographic of people through their applications.”

Grants will be to a maximum of $15,000 per organization, ensuring the money gets spread around.

Rushton said they’ve seen an increase in mental health issues in youth as the pandemic has taken away a lot of their regular social circles.

Waits for youth counselling services are also upwards of 18 months.

“What we hope to be able to do is provide funding so that those waitlists can be reduced, and new innovate ways of supporting youth and children and their mental health will hopefully come forward with these calls for applications.”

UWBC will be hosting two online information sessions on April 25 and 26, for anyone interested in learning more about application process.

More information on those sessions and how a charitable organization can apply for these grants is at uwcnvi.ca/grants. Deadline is May 9 at 4:00 p.m.

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