Not only did Frances Sreedhar surpass her goal of a million steps along the Meewasin Trail by March 31st, she helped to raise awareness about the connection between physical and mental health, and she raised funds for both the Meewasin Valley Authority and the Saskatoon branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Executive Director of the local CMHA, Faith Bodnar, says Sreedhar’s goal was to spread the message about the significance of taking care of our personal mental health by heading outdoors.
Had it not been for this Million Steps For Mental Health challenge, Bodnar believes the two organizations, the MVA and the CMHA, might not have realized what a great fit they are for bringing awareness and raising funds for their organizations.
She says they will be discussing making this an annual event and continued partnership.
Bodnar says a report from Statistics Canada prior to the pandemic indicated that one in five people needed help with their mental health and now research shows that it’s five in five.
One hundred per cent of us are experiencing significant mental health challenges because of the pandemic, with the uncertainty and the isolation.