Pathstone looks to online campaign
Revenue could be down as much as $200,000 due to COVID-19; social media plan challenges people to be active and donate
With many of its fundraising events cancelled due to COVID-19, Pathstone Foundation faces a shortfall of close to $200,000 this year.
The centre, which provides mental-health counselling to children, youth and families, isn’t at the point of cutting back services, says spokeswoman Kim Rossi, but it is looking for innovative ways to make up the shortfall.
“The first $360,000 that we raise each year funds walk-in clinics, and it’s solely donorfunded,” she said. “There is zero government money for it, so that’s the first thing that will be affected.”
Many of the Pathstone pro- grams are provided free. While it receives some government funding, the money is targeted toward specific costs.
Pathstone operates eight walk-in centres across the region, with a ninth to open soon. More than 400 hours combined, they see roughly 165 visits per month.
“We started them because our waiting list was getting out of control,” said Rossi. “Our walkin clinics allow you to just show up without being a Pathstone client, we can see you one-onone right away.”
Hoping to avoid a decision on cutbacks, Pathstone is turning to the public to give it a highfive — a 5Five5, actually, which is the name of its new social media campaign.
It wants people to donate $5 to Pathstone, then video themselves doing some sort of physical activity for five minutes and post it online.
Participants are then asked to tag five others and challenge them to do the same, while also tagging Pathstone.
The posts, to sites like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram should include the hashtag #The5Five5Challenge.
The $5 donation is affordable for most people, Rossi said, and the challenge incorporates elements that are important to good mental health: being physically active, and staying connected with friends and family.
“We know that it’s crucial for your mental well-being and wellness, it elevates depression,” she said. “Movement is vital.
“With COVID probably eight weeks old by the time we launched 5Five5 (earlier this month), we knew that people were starting to be a little more sedentary. Gyms have been closed for a while, kids are sitting doing online learning.”
The challenges have already started: One supporter, Devin Brown, juggled balls while walking a tightrope in his backyard.
Pathstone staff member Diane Kon, meanwhile, took the COVID-19 spirit to heart for her challenge.
She surrounded herself with toilet paper and sanitizers and sang a song she wrote called, “I
Want to Wash My Hands,” to the tune of the Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” as she accompanied herself on the ukulele.
In addition to losing the staples of its annual fundraising program, ranging from golf tournaments to BikeToberFest, another key date — its annual gala, held this year in April — didn’t meet expectations.
In a normal year Pathstone would net about $115,000 from the fundraising event, plus $20,000 to $30,000 more from an in-person auction and 50/50 draw.
When it had to be moved online due to the pandemic, people who had bought tickets were offered refunds. About three-quarters allowed Pathstone to keep the money as a donation, but it still only brought in about $58,000 Rossi said.
Like other not-for-profits, Pathstone is still looking for new ways to work and raise donations online.
“We were on a call today with a 13-year-old talking about TikTok (the online site for mobile videos) and learning how we could start that platform and what that looks like,” Rossi said with a laugh.
“We never would have looked at it before.”
For more on the 5Five5 Challenge go to www.pathstonefoundation.ca/events.