PointClickCare Supports CAMH and One Brave Night
Did you know, two out of three people with a mental illness are prevented from getting help because of stigma?
For the fourth consecutive year, PointClickCare has hosted a variety of events in support of One Brave Night, a Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) initiative, aimed at helping people of all ages who are living with mental illness, while providing them with hope and a path toward recovery.
One Brave Night is everyone’s chance to express their creativity and challenge themselves to step into the spotlight and share their hidden talent while raising funds to support mental health. Since 2015, One Brave Night has fuelled research, care, and education at CAMH, rallying over 8,500 brave participants and 30,000 donors to raise more than $3.2 million. PointClickCare alone has raised $160,873 in the last 4 years we have participated in this amazing event.
This cause is important to PointClickCare because as CAMH says, “mental health is health”. It’s something that affects us all and we know it is our responsibility to ensure that our office is a no stigma environment where all voices are heard.
To promote this initiative throughout our organization, we hosted several events leading up to One Brave Night on May 10, including:
- High Tea (April 10): Colleagues enjoyed High tea and a panel discussion featuring CAMH guest speakers Suzanne Duncan, Associate Vice President Donor Relations and Quinn Kirby, Manager, Gifts of Light
- Tai Chi (April 17): Participants relaxed and centered their minds and bodies at Tai Chi
- Chef Competition (April 24): Amateur chefs participated in a chili cookoff, showcasing their culinary talents
- Toastmasters (May 1): Colleagues joined together to give a voice to mental health at our Toastmasters, Health Edition event
- Chair Yoga (May 6): Participants improved their posture and work experience at Chair Yoga
Our last event took place on May 10 and was a talent show titled, “Showcase Your Hidden Talent,” which allowed our employees to express their creativity and passion. On the night itself, we also had an Iron Chef cooking competition, with guest judge Chef Michael G, along with a salsa dancing lesson.
Chef Michael G came 3rd in Master Chef Canada last year and he is a big proponent of mental health. Commenting on his support of the event, Michael said in his daily life he often encourages people to “Be passionate; passion is contagious.” He also said, “Showcasing one’s talents and expressing passion can be a very vulnerable and difficult task for many people. By providing people platforms to showcase what they do best, we are encouraging others to live passionately and follow their true dreams. As someone who has transitioned from my PhD stream of Mathematics & Computer Science into the culinary industry, I am a great example of following your passions and fulfilling your dreams. No matter where we find ourselves, we can always translate our current knowledge and skills into supporting our true passions. I hope thousands of people are inspired to follow their dreams and live happy lives.”
PointClickCare attendees really enjoyed this event and appreciated having the support of their organization. Here’s what a few attendees had to say about it:
“PointClickCare strongly believes in supporting our communities in events that showcase health and wellbeing. OBN is another of those important events to bring awareness to everyone that what you see on the outside is usually not what is happening on the inside. The night was full of fun and reflection and socialization, which brings out communication in everyone. Communication is important for people to survive each day.” Alfredo Rantucci, Project Manager
“I would like to thank PointClickCare for supporting CAMH and One Brave Night. The discussion of mental wellness is important, and CAMH does great work in supporting those of us who struggle with it. The night was jam-packed with inspiration and fun. Already looking forward to next year!” Charlene Dewbre, Technical Writer
“Its ok to not be ok, OBN was great event to talk and remove mental health stigma” Samar Javid, Lead Test Engineer
“Mental illness is on the rise, we need to create an environment that encourages people to have open and honest conversations about how they are feeling. That’s why events like One Brave Night are so important” Colm Quinn, Sr. Financial Analyst, FP&A
May 20, 2019
