Mental health will be top of mind Thursday as the Brock community takes part in Bell Let’s Talk Day.

The national one-day campaign, which aims to erase the negative stigma surrounding mental health, takes place Jan. 28 throughout Canada. Bell will donate 5 cents for every text or social media post published with #BellLetsTalk. The money raised will benefit Canadian mental health initiatives.

“The Bell Let’s Talk campaign is a great reminder for the Brock community to focus on mental health and have open and honest conversations with one another,” said Anna Lathrop, Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Students. “The well-being and mental health of students remains a top priority for us. The University is dedicated to supporting our students and continuing to create new wellness initiatives as the demand for support grows and needs change.”

With almost half of the Brock student population experiencing negative effects of mental health, the University continues to search for innovative ways to support students’ needs and increase available resources.

To prepare for Bell Let’s Talk Day, Brock created a week full of wellness events to help both students and employees focus on their mental well-being.

The week kicked off with the launch of a cookie gram campaign, which aims to raise funds for the Student Mental Health Fund through Brock’s Student Wellness and Accessibility Centre (SWAC), while also sharing positivity with students during exam season.

From Thursday, Jan. 21 to Thursday, Jan. 28, any donations of $10 or more to the Student Mental Health Fund will give donors the chance to send a personalized cookie to a student, which will be delivered at the end of the Winter Term. The donor can add words of encouragement, an anecdote of their time at Brock or well wishes to the cookie.

The sweet treats will be provided by Cate Basic (BA ’15, BA ’17) through her local business, Boxed Cookies. Before the cookie campaign, Basic had already been donating $1 of every box her company sold to SWAC and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. She has already raised $1,000 for student mental health with the help of an anonymous donor matching her donations of $100.

To donate to the Student Mental Health Fund, visit brocku.ca/donate and select ‘Student Mental Health’ as the designation for the gift.

Be Well Badgers, the student-centred mental health campaign created by SWAC and Brock’s Human Rights and Equity, is ongoing throughout the week. Students can sign up for events and workshops dedicated to well-being and self-care. All of the Be Well Badgers events can be found on ExperienceBU.

Brock’s Alumni Relations and Annual Giving team launched an appreciation campaign for faculty and staff to share messages of positivity with each other. Employees are encouraged to reflect upon a team member who has impacted them professionally or personally and share the message of appreciation on the Supporting Healthy Connections Message Board. Messages can remain private or be shared publicly on the web page.

Brock Sports took their mental heath initiatives online with a social media campaign leading up to Bell Let’s Talk Day, including a series of inspirational videos, contests and a Bell Let’s Talk virtual photo booth.

Brock’s virtual photo booth allows students, staff and faculty to capture and share a selfie alongside a personalized mental health message. Brock Sports is giving away a $50 Visa gift card for students who tag a fellow Badger on Instagram with some encouraging words.

At the Brock Campus Store 10 per cent of the net proceeds from the week will be donated to the Student Mental Health Fund. All online shopping can be done at campusstore.brocku.ca

Students can also participate in Be Well Bingo for a chance to win one of four $25 Campus Store gift cards. To participate, visit SWAC on Instagram.

Employees are invited to get active to combat mental health with Brock’s Recreation Services. Staff and faculty can join ExpressFit On Demand classes or ExpressFit Live Zoom classes for free from home.

To learn more about the many mental health resources available at Brock, visit brockmentalhealth.ca or brocku.ca/swac