Canadian Mental Health Association Vernon & District is preparing for Ride Don’t Hide this year at Polson Park on September 16, 2023. It’s been a bumpy few years; riding together makes the road easier.

The pandemic, the climate crisis, the economy, the war, injustice, unrest, uncertainty – it’s a lot to cope with, and we can all use support. Now that COVID-19 is moving to endemic, related stress and anxiety are becoming chronic.

This year CMHA Vernon is raising funds for youth in our community.! We know that if help is provided to young people early in their lives, it can prevent small problems from becoming big ones. And yet only 1 in 5 children receive appropriate mental health services.

Healthy emotional and social development in our early years lays the foundation for mental health and resilience. Did you know only 70 percent of persons with a mental illness see their symptoms begin before age 18? Mental illness affects 1.2 million of our children and youth.

CMHA Vernon is here to fill gaps in the system, provide care before a crisis and help keep young people well, taking the pressure off hospitals and doctors in an acute-care system already overburdened by COVID-19. We provide essential mental health supports programs and services—but demand for services is higher than ever. We need your help – None of us can do this alone.

By joining CMHA Vernon on September 16 and participating in CMHA’s Ride Don’t Hide, you’re raising funds for mental health in your community. You are helping us raise essential funds for core services and critical programs that work to keep young people out of crisis and support them with the mental health help they need when they need it.

Show everyone facing a mental illness or mental health problem that they’re not alone. Register today; https://cmha.donordrive.com/event/vernonbc