Canada Life’s gift will help Kids Help Phone support even more young people across Canada with their mental health through its 24/7, free, bilingual texting service

Toronto (ON), January 11, 2024 — With a transformational gift of $1 million to the Feel Out Loud movement, Canada Life is investing in Kids Help Phone’s texting service. This donation will build on Canada Life’s impact as a long-time supporter and one of the texting service’s founding donors.

Thanks to Canada Life, more young people can access the service – 24/7, free, bilingual and confidential – with users in greatest distress always being the highest priority. Through this gift, Kids Help Phone will expand its national network of crisis responders and continue innovating the service to better support young people.

In every corner of Canada, young people can receive support by texting CONNECT to 686868 to chat with a crisis responder. The service is easily accessible – as no data plan or internet connection is required.

This generous donation will make a lasting impact on the well-being and mental health of younger generations for many years to come.

“Canada Life has been a loyal and generous supporter of Kids Help Phone and our mission for three decades, always making sure we are there for youth. The state of youth mental health in Canada was at crisis level before the pandemic, and now we are at a tipping point. Thanks to Canada Life and supporters across the country, Kids Help Phone will continue to meet the growing demand of our texting service and ensure that all young people can get the support they need, in the time they need it most,” says Katherine Hay, President & CEO, Kids Help Phone.

“I want to thank you very much for allowing me to express my feelings thoughts and emotions. It allowed me to stay more present in the moment. They (crisis responder) were someone I really needed at a very difficult time. I am forever grateful for your time, guidance and encouragement.” – Young person seeking support via texting.

“Kids Help Phone has been there for generations of kids. Canada Life is honoured to support their critical work,” says Jeff Macoun, President and Chief Operating Officer, Canada Life. “Ensuring young people can access help when they need it most is core to what Kids Help Phone does every day. By expanding their texting service, they’ll be able to reach more kids than ever before.”

Kids Help Phone’s Feel Out Loud movement, the largest youth mental health movement in Canada’s history, aims to raise $300 million to revolutionize mental health care for every young person. Young people face challenges such as trauma from the COVID-19 pandemic, systemic racism, climate anxiety, mental health stigma and more. Through the movement, Kids Help Phone is taking action by expanding its clinical services from coast to coast to coast, closing the mental health equity gap and leveraging innovation in virtual care.

FAST FACTS

• Kids Help Phone has supported young people more than 18 million times since 2020 — this number increases every day.
• On average, 76 per cent of young people share something with Kids Help Phone they’ve never shared with anyone else.
• On average, 88 per cent of young people feel better after connecting with Kids Help Phone.
• The top issues young people text Kids Help Phone about include anxiety, stress, depression, relationships, suicide and isolation.

About Feel Out Loud

Kids Help Phone’s Feel Out Loud movement, a $300 million fundraising campaign through end of 2024, is the largest movement for youth mental health in Canada’s history. The campaign is aimed at providing young people support without obstacles and help with any hardship. Because no challenge is too big, and no feeling is too small for Kids Help Phone.

About Kids Help Phone

Kids Help Phone is Canada's only 24/7 national, e-mental health service offering free, confidential, multi-lingual support to young people. As the country's virtual care expert, we give millions of youth a safe, trusted space to Feel Out Loud over the phone, through text, or in self-directed supports for any moment of crisis or need. The Feel Out Loud campaign is the largest movement for youth mental health in Canada’s history - it will raise $300 million to unlock hope for young people to thrive in their worlds. Kids Help Phone gratefully relies on the generosity of donors, volunteers, stakeholder partners, corporate partners and governments to fuel and fund our programs. Learn more at KidsHelpPhone.ca.

About The Canada Life Assurance Company

Canada Life is a leading insurance, wealth management and benefits provider focused on improving the financial, physical and mental well-being of Canadians. For 175 years, individuals, families and business owners across Canada have trusted us to provide sound guidance and deliver on the promises we’ve made.

Canada Life looks at all the ways we can support communities to help them reach their potential, every day. We work with organizations that are forward thinking and collaborative so that our efforts can create positive change. We’re proud to support non-profit, charitable and community organizations each year through cash, in-kind contributions and employee volunteerism. This includes $11.1 million in charitable donations in 2022.

Today, we proudly serve approximately 12 million customer relationships from coast to coast to coast.

For more information, contact:

Akilah Downey
Kids Help Phone
Media Relations and Thought Leadership Manager
akilah.downey@kidshelpphone.ca or (416) 560-2932

Tim Oracheski
Canada Life
Vice-President, Communications
media.relations@canadalife.com

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