The Kiwanis Club of Central Okanagan funds cards and stickers that have contact details.
By Julie Saetre
Two years ago, an organization in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, proposed an emergency phone line for young people contemplating suicide. In response, the Kiwanis Club of Central Okanagan donated CA$40,000 to get it started.
But this year, two area high school students were speaking about the importance of mental health resources for young people — and when they were asked whether they had heard about the youth suicide hotline, they said no.
Clearly, something was needed to spread awareness.
Wendy Falkowski, a club member and the 2008-09 Pacific Northwest District governor, had an idea.
“Perhaps if youth had a pocket card or something they could scan into their phones,” she says, “it might be an idea to get information out.”
Putting help within easy reach
Fellow club member Tom Cockrell led the effort to spread the word about mental health resources. He met with groups of teens and school counselors at Kelowna Secondary School, Mount Boucherie Secondary School and George Elliot Secondary School, as well as the school district’s administrator of safety and well-being.
As a result, the Kiwanis club funded the creation not only of wallet cards, but stickers that students can affix to frequently carried items such as water bottles and cell phones. The cards and stickers have QR codes and phone numbers for agencies that provide mental health support for young people — including the original hotline established two years ago.
In September, club members will reach more than 15,000 students by distributing stickers and cards to all of the district’s middle and secondary schools. Cockrell and other club members also hand out the materials at schools’ mental health information days, and additional cards and stickers are provided to youth centers and youth hostels.
“Mental health is a private matter that an individual keeps to themselves, but knows they need help,” Falkowski says. “Where do they find it? Now they don’t have to stand in the hallway in front of a mental health poster to write down a phone number. All they need to do is go to the QR codes.”
Does your club support youth mental health in your community? Let us know by emailing shareyourstory@kiwanis.org.
