Young woman leading team to reduce stigma of mental illness, increase support

London, January 12, 2010 — United Way is pleased to support 15 new London Life Youth in Action projects. These projects enable more than 150 young people, with the help of 12 community organizations, to directly address the needs they see in their community.

Sponsored by London Life through the Key to Giving™, the national corporate citizenship program of Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life, Youth in Action is a community-based, youth-initiated and youth-led program designed to make a difference in people's lives and in our community.

Nineteen-year-old Paige Lawson is leading the DREAM project: Direct Resources for Education Alternatives and Mental Health. The project is inspired by Lawson’s own experience struggling with an anxiety disorder in high school, and ultimately having to leave the classroom to complete her studies online.

With the support of MindYourMind.ca and Canadian Mental Health Association London Middlesex Branch, a United Way funded organization, Lawson and her team will give presentations to high school students to help raise awareness and understanding of mental illnesses.

“Had this type of information been available to me, my school and life experience would have been drastically different,” says Lawson. “I want to help reduce the stigma of mental illness so students are not afraid to acknowledge that they may struggle from anxiety and so teachers and staff can better understand and support students going through this.”

United Way's Youth in Action program challenges youth ages 13 to 24 to identify a need in the community, plan a project that will help resolve the issue, gather a group together and apply for up to $1,000 in funding in order to implement their project.

Projects must address a local social issue, meet certain criteria and be aligned with United Way’s priority areas of preparing children and youth for future success; strengthening families; enabling Aboriginal people and newcomers to be successful participants in community life; and building the capacity of neighbourhoods. Funding decisions are made by a panel of youth volunteers called the Youth in Action Advisory Committee.

The types of projects range widely yet the themes of improving lives through greater inclusion, confidence and self-esteem are common. Examples of projects are homework and reading clubs, workshops and conferences, clothing drives, day camps and support groups.