Walking for Mental Health: A Lifelong Journey
Move For Mental Health Day at Deas Island Park on Saturday, May 3rd
On May 3rd, Step Forward joined the community in a walk around Deas Island to support people with mental health struggles. We would like to thank the event’s 130 attendees and everyone else who participated in any capacity. You raised awareness and funding and lifted each other up. That can be life-saving. Now, like taking the next step in a walk, it’s time to take the next step in the journey to mental wellness.
Significance
Poor mental health makes everything more complicated. Every day feels heavy, doubtful, and hopeless. You feel isolated even when surrounded by people and shrouded in darkness in brilliant sunshine. Sometimes, it feels like tomorrow isn’t worth seeing. We can’t thank you enough for walking in solidarity with people who feel this way. Whether you walked, sponsored a walker, or supported the event directly, you proved that no one is alone, forgotten, or hopeless. You made people feel seen and valued, and financially supported them in acquiring the care they need. You’ve brought us over halfway to our $25,000 goal to get peer support, affordable counselling, and inclusive mental health programs to those who need them most. Thank you for showing tomorrow’s hope to those struggling to see it.
The Walk Continues
Mental well-being is like a lifelong walk. Every day is another step requiring constant discipline, therapy, and self-awareness, and one bad day can ruin everything. The mental health walk is challenging for people with access to every resource and harder still for those without. That’s why people who walk beside those struggling with mental health are invaluable. Whatever form your support takes, you keep things moving in the right direction. Without you, taking the next step forward becomes much harder.
The Next Step
Our Deas Island walk may be over, but the journey to mental wellness never ends. Your support went a long way to reaching our $25,000 goal to bring mental health services to those who need them most. Your next step is closing the gap with a donation. Your gift is more than funding—you’re holding someone’s hand as they take the next step toward a hopeful future. That simple gesture makes a world of a difference.
Your funding goes a lot further than you think. In 2024, your $38,600 in donations helped the Step Forward Program provide nearly $80,000 worth of mental healthcare to 48 clients, 31 of whom are new members. In other words, your gift counts as double in financial terms, and its value is immeasurable to the mental health victims it supports. Mental health resources should be available to everyone, not just those who can pay out of pocket. You make that possible.
Take the next step now. Show the lonely that they aren’t alone, and the hopeless that they have a bright future.
