Did You Know: Housing

August 6, 2019 By Jessica Samuels Leave a Comment

Did You Know? CMHA Kelowna operates more than 200 units of housing in the city.

Our years of experience and knowledge gained from housing vulnerable individuals allows us to continue to successfully do so at all of our current and future properties. In the same way that we are committed to working with this vulnerable population, CMHA Kelowna is determined to create a safe and inclusive community where anyone call home.

Did you know that some of the residents of our supportive housing are experiencing stable and secure housing for the first time in a very long time? Since being housed, many residents have connected with relevant community supports and resources to begin working on their wellness!

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5 ways to social media-proof your mental health

July 22, 2019 By Jessica Samuels Leave a Comment

5 ways to social media-proof your mental health

We’re living in a digital age with friend requests, notifications and “likes” popping up left, right and centre. Today, it seems almost everyone is using social media – in fact, 94 per cent of people in Canada have at least one social media account.[1] Whether it’s Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram or LinkedIn, it seems that everyone’s logged in and joining conversations online.

Some say social media is contributing to the mental health crisis we’re experiencing, while others praise the benefits of being so connected to resources and each other. The research is so diverse, that there really isn’t one simple answer to the question of whether social media is harming or benefitting our well-being.

What we do know is that there are ways to use social media consciously. It’s not necessarily the presence of social media in our lives that affects our mental health, but the way we’re using it.

Here are some tips to help you use social media in a way that protects your well-being:

Unfollow people or accounts that make you feel insecure, or that need you to be someone you’re not.

How often do you scroll through your feed and compare yourself to others? Challenge yourself not to compare your insides with someone else’s outsides. And, if you still find yourself with a pit in your stomach when scrolling through, click that “unfollow” button. Fill up your social media feeds with accounts that inspire you and make you feel great about yourself.

Set limits for how much time you spend on social media platforms.

Did you know that some apps and phones can actually track how much time you spend on them? For example, Instagram has a feature that allows you to manage your time on the app. You can even pre-set a daily time limit and get a reminder when your time is up, to keep you from scrolling your precious day away.

Engage actively on social media apps.

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Foundry Kelowna finds home at Central

July 10, 2019 By Sarah Lust Leave a Comment

Kelowna, July 15, 2019 ~ Foundry Kelowna has found a temporary home after a small fire closed the centre last week.

Starting Wednesday, July 17th, the youth mental health centre will be operating at Central school, located at 1825 Richter Street. All of the programs and services will be running out of the school while some individual appointments may still occur offsite.

The Foundry Kelowna offices on Kirschner Road closed after a small kitchen fire broke out last week. The fire itself damaged a small area but the smoke damage affected the entire centre. It is estimated the offices will be closed for a few weeks while the building is cleaned.

Shelagh Turner, Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Kelowna Executive Director, says as soon as word was out about the fire the community responded with incredible support. “Right away we had calls from many people offering their office space, office equipment or just asking how they could help. We are so grateful to the Central Okanagan School District for opening up this space and for everyone who jumped in to help us get up and fully operational so quickly. Foundry has been a game-changer on how we work together in this community and during times of adversity, people have really stepped up.”

In order to ensure continuity of Foundry Kelowna service, staff from the partner organizations who work out of Foundry Kelowna temporarily relocated to other offices, while CMHA Kelowna staff who were working at the centre moved to the organization’s Sutherland location.

Turner says, “Changing our site temporarily has required ‘all hands on deck’. It’s not going to be perfect for the next couple of weeks as we adapt to this new space, but we will be able to offer the same quality service for youth 12-24 and families, as we always have done.”

Hours of operation will remain the same at Central School: Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm, with drop in access 12:00pm – 4:00pm, walk – in counselling Tuesday – Thursday 1:00pm – 4:00pm.

If you have a question about an upcoming group or appointment please call Foundry Kelowna at 236 420 2803.

Media Contact:
Jessica Samuels
Communication Manager, CMHA Kelowna
250-575-2192, jessica.samuels@cmha.bc.ca

Did You Know: Housing

Did You Know? CMHA Kelowna operates more than 200 units of housing in the city.

5 ways to social media-proof your mental health

Foundry Kelowna finds home at Central

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