Holding on to Hope

Holding on to Hope
The Campaign to End the Stigma of Mental Illness

Dates Holding on to Hope, will be offered to students on the following dates: Thursday, January, 28th, 12:30pm Tuesday, February, 9th, 7:00pm Wednesday, February, 24th, 2:30pm Thursday, March 18th, 12:30pm All events will take place in Council Chambers, 3rd floor of the UCC, by the USC office.

About the Campaign
Holding on to Hope allows students to educate students about mental health and the stigma associated with it. It is presented as a half hour workshop involving a power point presentation, questions and answers, and personal experience. It is open to all students who want to attend. After learning from the workshop all students are given a “Holding on to Hope” pin. The goal of this pin is to turn mental health, which is invisible, into something that is visible and embraced by students. Faculties and Residences will all receive the workshop and presentation. All Sophs will also receive the training. There are workshops and presentations scheduled throughout the year which are open to all students.

History
Holding on to Hope was founded by Jennifer Francis. After a six year long battle with mental illness she was finally diagnosed as having Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and a severe case of Panic Disorder. It is a disability and Jennifer is proud of it. Jennifer sat on both the University Students’ Council and the Undergraduate Engineering Society for three years. She was an active member of student life and involvement at Western.

Jennifer noticed that the university put so much work into so many wonderful areas, but mental health was always neglected. Along with the University Students’ Council and Jennifer “Holding on to Hope” was officially launched in January of 2010.

Jennifer is currently giving many workshops and presentations about mental health to other Universities across Canada as well as government employees and businesses.

Who Runs the Campaign?
The Mental Health Awareness Commissioner runs the campaign. This position falls under the Campus Issues portfolio. For the 2009/2010 academic year the position is held by its founded Jennifer Francis. When applications become available, students can apply for this position. Check back to the USC website for these dates.