Who Are We?
You Are Collective is a collective movement for love, respect, and awareness in the Okanagan. We donate 10% of each item purchased to mental health initiatives and provide accessible resources via our website www.youarecollective.ca and social media @youarecollective. Our goal is to #endthestigma surrounding mental health and illness by keeping the conversation going and breaking down barriers to have the tough conversations. We are currently partnered with Foundry Kelowna, operated by Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), to provide care to youth ages 12-24 in our community.
How This All Started...
We kept hearing how hard it was for many people to involve themselves in the community or events whether it was a mental illness holding them back, lack of resources, or financial challenges. We wanted to create a safe and friendly space through a series of events where people could come and go as the please and know that they can open up about their struggles and challenges and instead of being judged, find they probably resonate with more people. After chatting with a few local contributors, we landed on the idea for Strike Out The Stigma - a way to bring as many resources as we can under one roof so to speak. With the amazing and plentiful resources the Okanagan does have to offer, we wanted to foster the community within the community and continue to bond integral relationships for the betterment of our society. Keeping everything as local as local can be, we created this charity vs charity battle to help breakdown the barriers and keep the conversation going around mental health, illness, and stigmas.
What Is The Purpose?
When Michael and I first sought out to raise money for mental health, we did it based on the lack of resources and accessibility we noticed while we were going through our own struggles. We often felt alone and isolated as the stigma around mental health and illness affected us whether it was at work, school, home, public ... You name it. And the devastating part is that it's still there. We noticed a huge gap in the mental health community and set to work using apparel as a vehicle for our movement. After deciding to donate 10% of each item purchased, we partnered with Foundry Kelowna, a program run by Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) to help individuals aged 12-24 and their families find the help they need. Now, in the last quarter of our first year into our project and growing company we've been able to donate more than $500 to mental health initiatives. Still, we know there's more work to be done! Which is why we've decided to put together an event to really bring awareness in our community and help foster those relationships between charities and organizations.
Strike Out The Stigma is a kick-off to mental illness awareness week, where teams of charities and organizations are donning their best baseball tees for a chance at a grand prize donation to their organization. The tournament is a way for both community initiatives as well as the public to understand how mental health plays a role in every aspect of our lives; and how there are resources around to help. We want to foster the community within the community. Check out the charities that have already signed up by clicking here or browsing through our Instagram @strikeoutthestigma. This weekend is about communication, awareness and breaking down barriers when it comes to stigmas.