BDWF aims to foster mental health, wellness

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/01/2021 (2041 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Aug. 14, 2020 is an important day for River Park South. It’s the day Better Days Wellness Foundation  was incorporated, and for Diana Botelho-Urbanski, Cami Daeninck and Sarah Graveline, it’s also the day their desire to see more conversations about mental health taking place in schools took a big step forward.  

The idea for BDWF was born of student voice. In reading applications for the Jaedra Winter Memorial Scholarship, awarded annually at Collège Jeanne-Sauvé (CJS), it became clear to Daeninck that an important aspect of addressing youth mental health in schools was to engage directly with students themselves. After all, there is no one who can better inform the path to take in the pursuit of mental wellness than those for whom the need is so great.   

Fueled by a desire to promote conversations about mental health, and wanting to honour the memory of two peers, these three young people are being the change they wish to see in the world. It starts in their own community, and at CJS, from which they all graduated in 2016. 

 
Providing opportunities for students to have conversations about the importance of good mental health, and creating supportive and comfortable environments where these can take place, is the goal of BDWF. Funding student-led initiatives is the focus of the non-profit organization.    

For now, Botelho-Urbanski, Daeninck and Graveline are hard at work developing plans for student outreach and engagement, including expanding their social media outreach and working to raise money to fund the events they hope to see happening soon.

They are not deterred by the challenge of doing this during a global pandemic, pointing to the increased importance of their efforts as social isolation and loneliness increases.

 
In 2021, BDWF intends to engage with high schools (starting with CJS and those in the Louis Riel School Division), meet students who can organize and lead important conversations and initiatives, galvanize community support, and continue to learn as how to best support mental health and wellness. All this while pursuing their own post-secondary goals and dreams.

Because of its roots in River Park, one cannot help but wish BDWF the greatest success.

Follow them on Instagram @betterdayswf, which is also where you will find information on their fundraising efforts. You can also contact them by e-mail at betterdayswf@gmail.com  

Sandy Nemeth is a community correspondent for River Park South and a Louis Riel School Board trustee. Email her at snemeth8@mts.net