CMHA HKPR Hosts its 11th Annual Meeting

Sep 26, 2024

The Canadian Mental Health Association, Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (CMHA HKPR) held its 11th Annual Meeting at the Lindsay Golf and Country Club on September 25th. Hosted by Board President John Lyons, the event began with a message from Lyons and marked the first Annual Meeting of branch CEO Ellen Watkins in her new role. The meeting included live musical entertainment from “the REACHERS” of the H.O.P.E. Learning Centre.

This year’s meeting was an opportunity to recognize a year of success for CMHA HKPR including “the Road Ahead” mobile mental health clinic, the successful reimagining of crisis support through the 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline and recognition of honorary board and staff members for their years of service.

The event also showcased CMHA HKPR Award winners, including the Champion of Mental Health, Achievement Through Adversity and more. These awards are presented annually to honor individuals, organizations, employees, survivors, caregivers, and other community members in recognition of their efforts in improving mental health in our community.

“There is no doubt that the systems we work within are changing rapidly as we commit daily to enhancing and improving supports and services for individuals living with mental illness.” said Watkins, “We are the unapologetic architects of our system, we face ambiguity with courage and confidence acknowledging that the human side lands on the desks and hearts of our staff teams. While change can be challenging, we are grateful for the energy that staff bring to the work as we work to improve our system.”

The evening concluded with warm thanks from Watkins on behalf of the branch and Board of Directors, celebrating CMHA’s unwavering commitment of Knowledge, Hope and Belonging.