Today — Wednesday January 28, 2015 — is the 5th annual Bell Let’s Talk Day, with Clara Hughes leading the campaign inviting all Canadians to talk, text and tweet about mental health and help build a Canada free of the stigma of mental illness.
“I’m really looking forward to kicking off the national conversation about mental health with Bell Let’s Talk Day 2015! Join us in the fight against the stigma that makes most who struggle with mental illness reluctant to ask for help,” said Clara, Canada’s 6-time Olympic medalist and national Bell Let’s Talk ambassador since the launch of the initiative in 2010. “I welcome you to the national conversation tomorrow, and ask you to talk, text, tweet and share on Facebook to help drive Bell’s donations to mental health. Let those who face mental illness know you have their back – and let’s set another record!”
Join the conversation and help grow Bell’s donations
Today, January 28, 2015, on Bell Let’s Talk Day, for every text message, wireless and long distance call made by Bell Canada and Bell Aliant customers, every tweet using #BellLetsTalk, and every Facebook share of that day’s Bell Let’s Talk Day image at Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk, Bell will donate 5 cents more to Canadian mental health programs.
“Each year, as the Bell Let’s Talk conversation continues to flourish, we further progress in reducing the stigma and growing Bell’s funding of the care and access, research and workplace programs that are making a real and positive difference the lives of so many Canadians,” said George Cope, President and CEO of Bell Canada and BCE. “On Bell Let’s Talk Day, please join in growing awareness and action in Canadian mental health.”
In 2014, Canadians answered the call with a total of 109,451,718 messages including texts, wireless and long distance calls, tweets and Facebook shares, meaning Bell added another $5,472,585.90 to its Bell Let’s Talk funding commitment. Based on its original $50 million donation and the results of the last 4 Bell Let’s Talk Days, Bell has now committed more than $67.5 million to Canadian mental health.
Bell’s donations are made at no extra charge to Bell Let’s Talk Day participants, though normal long distance or text charges, if any, apply.
5 simple ways to help end the stigma
This year’s Bell Let’s Talk’s campaign focuses on 5 simple ways we can all help end the stigma around mental illness:
- Language matters – pay attention to the words you use about mental illness
- Educate yourself – learn, know and talk more, understand the signs
- Be kind – small acts of kindness say a lot
- Listen and ask – sometimes it’s best to just listen
- Talk about it – start a dialogue, break the silence
“We worked with Dr. Heather Stuart of Queen’s University, the world’s first Chair in anti-stigma research, to help us develop 5 straightforward ways everyone can help end the stigma and support people struggling with mental illness,” said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let’s Talk. “Please use them to keep the conversation about mental health going all year round, and help Canada become a stigma-free nation.”
To learn more about the campaign, and to download the Bell Let’s Talk toolkit to help get the conversation started, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
