Dollar A Day group awards $225,000 to mental-health initiatives

Organizations supporting the mental health of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are getting an upswell of support from a provincial campaign co-founded by Great Big Sea lead singer Alan Doyle.

In a news release, the Dollar A Day Foundation announced $225,000 in donations to four organizations providing supports for mental health.

The donations will support access to frontline mentalhealth and addictions programs for those needing it most, the foundation said.

The funds were provided by individual donors, corporate partners and onetime donations from across Canada.

Thrive Community Youth Network and transition shelters across Newfoundland and Labrador are slated to received $50,000 each. The support will provide access to educational opportunities for both recipients’ clients, as well as financial resources.

The donation to Transition House N.L. will support the domestic violence help line, ensuring calllers are connected to the cloest transition house in their area.

“We’re so proud of our Dollar A Day community for making today’s announcement possible. We set out to start a movement to bring people together in supporting our most vulnerable. Days like today are what it’s all about,” said Doyle.

“Because of many generous souls out there who have been willing to chip in a buck a day, a lot of people are going to be much better off.”

The $100,00 for Choices for Youth will help with its mandate to expand mentalhealth and addictions-care support to Newfoundland and Labrador youth.

Choices for Youth executive director Sheldon Pollett said the donation comes at a “critical time,” in light of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on people’s mental health.

Another $25,000 was provided to the Canadian Mental Health Association of Newfoundland and Labrador. That money will subsidize mental-health supports for startup entrepreneurs, through a collaboration with Technl and the Genesis Centre.