Mary:
IAM is a charitable organisation and we support people with mental health challenges, as well as we work towards better solutions for better mental health. We take a different approach; we really start where people are at. So, if someone’s experiencing a mental health challenge or has some mental health needs, they don’t have to have a diagnosis to call us, because we are here to really help and support them wherever they are.

Having said that, we do work with a range of mental health issues, but we don’t like to refer to people regarding their diagnosis, we rather refer to people as to what they’re going through, and what are some of the mental health needs that they have.

Jesse:
I was diagnosed with schizophrenia in September of 1999 and it was very relieving for me to get a diagnosis, because then I knew what I was dealing with and I knew that there was some hope for me to move forward and deal with it. Oftentimes, mental health is connected with addictions and vice versa, and so I like to identify as being somebody with mental health and addictions issues.

That has been a blessing and a curse, in that I have been through a lot, I’ve suffered a lot, and I continue to suffer. But I’ve gained a lot of skills, and I have a lot of experience that I can use to help other people with mental health and addictions issues. I came in, very broken, very scared, very paranoid, very out of place and I found a home in IAM and I’ve forged some really good relationships with people at IAM.

Mary:
It’s really important to continue to receive donations from Federated Health and be part of Federated Health, because for our organisation, it forms a big part of our charitable donations that we receive. And to be part of Federated Health, I would say it’s twofold, is one is to continue to be able to support the work that we do with the organisation and deal with mental health challenges.

But also, a big part of Federated Health, is that we’re able to also give back to the donors who come through Fed Health, by raising awareness and by being available for them to access all of the programs and services that we have.

But I would say being part of Fed Health has given us that opportunity to really reach a lot more people. And it’s really great to work with my colleagues. We learn from each other, we dialogue, were very supportive to each other, and we have a lot of fun with the campaign.

Jesse:
So, a big thank you to OPS and Federated Health for all the support you’ve given us at IAM and we would love to continue that into the future.

To those of you who are considering making a donation to Federated Health Charities, I strongly encourage it, as IAM is doing great work in the community and is an amazing resource and has great programs.