Holiday Wishes from EveryMind

The holidays will certainly look and feel different this year.

To stop the spread of COVID-19, we have been asked to stay apart, stay home and refrain from celebrating with friends and family, and earlier this week, the provincial government announced it will be implementing a province-wide 28-day lockdown beginning at midnight on Boxing Day.

Many of us had hoped that December 2020 might mark the return to normalcy and the way things were before any of us had ever heard the words “COVID-19” or “coronavirus”.

Instead, we’re preparing to live according to many of the same restrictions we first experienced last spring.

We recognize how difficult this will be for many children, youth and families in our community.

We know many parents and caregivers are worried about how they will balance working from home with homeschooling duties, while others are stressed about losing income and wondering how they will be able to pay their bills in January.

We know children, youth and young adults are struggling to stay engaged with online learning and missing their friends and favourite activities.

We also know that rates of depression, anxiety, loneliness, substance abuse and family violence continue to rise, exacerbated by the pressures of the pandemic.

As we look ahead to 2021, we remain hopeful that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Promising news about not one but two vaccines means that 2021 will look and feel very different from our current reality.

But in the meantime, we want to remind you that if you’re struggling right now, you are not alone, and we’re here to help.

• EveryMind’s 24/7 Crisis Response Service for children, youth (under 18) and families is always only a phone call away. Call us at 416-410-8615 for help at any time.
• Youth over the age of 16 and adults can call CMHA Peel Dufferin’s 24.7 Crisis Support Peel service at 905-278-9036 or 1-888-811-2222 (Caledon and Dufferin).
• You can access ongoing mental health services for children, youth, young adults and caregivers, including online webinars, workshops and groups, by visiting WhereToStart.ca.
• Tangerine Walk-In Counselling continues to offer 45-minute phone counselling sessions for children and youth under 17. Visit TangerineWalkIn.com to request an appointment. Sessions are available today (December 23rd) from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. and tomorrow (December 24th) from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

As 2020 draws to a close, we want to take a moment to thank you for being part of EveryMind’s caring community working together for children, youth and families.

We could not have continued to deliver on our Mission to inspire hope through the delivery of high quality mental health services without you — our dedicated staff, board members, volunteers, community partners, funders and donors.

To our resilient and inspiring clients, thank you for reaching out and trusting us to help you. We’re proud of how far you’ve come, and we hope you are, too.

Together apart, we made it through 2020.

Together apart, our community is stronger than we were a year ago.

Together apart, we can look forward with hope to a brighter, better 2021.

Happy holidays from EveryMind.

COVID-19 continues to be a concern in our community. Please check the Region of Peel’s website for the latest news and guidelines to keep you and your family safe.