Carol for a Cure event raises more than $2,000
Zoë Mintz and about 30 others gathered on Sherbrooke St. W., in front of the National Foods grocery store in Westmount, the afternoon of Dec. 23 for their third annual Carol for a Cure event: They sang holiday tunes to raise money for the Cedars Breast Clinic at the McGill University Health Centre. The event raised nearly $2,100.
Mintz’s mother, Rochelle Barr, learned in the fall of 2009 that she had breast cancer; she was treated at the Cedars Breast Clinic.
Mintz decided that working to raise funds for cancer research and treatment would help her and the family get through the journey ahead of them. She formed Team RockStarr — her mother’s nickname is Rock — and began to organize team fundraisers that have raised more than $100,000. The December Carol for a Cure events have raised more than $3,650.
The Donald Berman UP House, a Montreal clubhouse for adults living with a chronic mental illness, has been awarded the 2012 Douglas Utting Medal and Prize for excellence and innovation in the field of mental health.
In presenting the $7,500 award at the Jewish General Hospital’s Institute of Community and Family Psychiatry on Nov. 5, Tim Utting said that in just 2½ years since it opened the UP House has made an exceptional contribution.
“We are delighted that the scientific community has recognized that our approach to helping the mentally ill is making such a difference in the lives of its members,” said Ruth McLellan, the director of Donald Berman UP House.
Members have the chance “to rejoin the world of friendships, work and education,” McLellan wrote to Applause. “It is a restorative environment for people who have had their lives drastically disrupted and need the support of others who believe that recovery from mental illness is possible for all.”
The organization is based on a model set up by the International Centre for Clubhouse Development: to offer adults who have mental illness hope and opportunities to achieve their full potential. There are 20 accredited clubhouses across Canada, and about 350 worldwide.
Members are part of a community who work together: working with staff, they take responsibility for policy, governance and decisionmaking. They are involved in everything from clerical duties and reception to food services, outreach, maintenance and problem-solving.
As one member put it: “We truly believe that we can belong to a community that is truly ours for the taking. … I cherish my days at the Clubhouse. I leave feeling uplifted by the smiles, the encouragement and sentiment that the Clubhouse is transforming my life, little by little.”