We Reached our $20k Goal! THANK YOU!

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A Warm and Grateful Message from the Stigma-Free Society Team… We had an INCREDIBLE week last week with our first ever online fundraiser “”Helping Stigma-Free Society During COVID-19”. Through the generous support of the beautiful community around us, we reached our goal of $20,000 and we couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who donated and […]

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Special Guest Blogger – Jenica Pong: On COVID-19 as a Student and Taking Virtual Action!

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It was a huge change not returning in class after spring break. With the weight of the pandemic sinking in I began to understand how this would affect the rest of my year: no band concert, no year end dance show, no school carnival; I wouldn’t be playing Pomp and Circumstance or get to watch […]

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Stigma-Free COVID-19 Online Full-Day Fundraiser – We Need Your Help!

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At the Stigma-Free Society we are extremely proud of the work we have been doing to educate and raise awareness about various stigmas, with a focus on mental health in schools, businesses and organizations. When COVID-19 hit, the way we educate and help students and individuals in the community had to change. We responded urgently […]

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10 Ways to Boost Your Mental Health on a Rainy Day

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A lot of people love a good rainy day. It’s a great excuse to hunker down under your blankets and stay inside for the day. However, for some, rainy days can be really difficult, particularly if they’re battling a mental illness like depression or anxiety. The good news? There are ways for you to boost […]

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Tips for Parents to Help Their Kids Cope with “Increasing the Bubble”

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For months now, we have been waiting for news on when and how we will get back to our new “normal” after COVID-19. Now, as we begin to see our world slowly opening back up,  be aware that your kids may have more questions, more anxiety and more worry over the coming weeks. While this […]

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How Educators Can Use our NEW COVID-19 Youth Wellness Toolkit

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The Stigma-Free Society has been extremely pleased with the feedback on our new Stigma-Free COVID-19 Youth Wellness Toolkit. This new Toolkit is an online community-based participatory program that aims to promote mental wellness in grades 4-6 and grades 7-12. Both parents and students have provided incredibly useful feedback on the site, and the Charity is […]

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Stigma-Free COVID-19 Youth Wellness Toolkit – COMING SOON!

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The Stigma-Free Society is bound and determined to continue to educate youth on mental health issues and combat stigma of all kinds. With COVID-19 putting a halt to our school presentations, we decided to create a new online Stigma-Free COVID-19 Youth Wellness Toolkit. Our new online COVID-19 Toolkit Program will inform educators and students in […]

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Take Care of Yourself! Mental Health Supports during COVID-19 Crisis

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Author Daniel To, District Principal, Surrey School District (Guest Post) Take Care of Yourself! Mental Health Supports during COVID-19 Crisis Other than for those who are true introverts – and are really relishing this current opportunity to stay home during the COVID19 crisis – (aka my father and my brother Dr. Nathan To https://www.thecounterstory.com) this […]

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Stigma Free Society’s Program Delivery & Covid-19

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In light of the current uncertainty surrounding the spread of Covid-19; the Stigma Free Society has determined that our responsibility to our staff and the community is best served by suspending all group gatherings, school presentations and public interactions effectively immediately. As such, the women’s group meetings, school and business presentations and other activities, which […]

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From Battling Lifelong Stigmas to Scholarship Award Winner – Meet Juls

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We are incredibly proud to introduce you to Juls Budau, winner of the Stigma-Free Society – Otsuka Lundbeck Alliance Scholarship. Registered in the Masters in Social Work program at the Northern University of British Columbia, Juls will use this scholarship money to pay for her tuition, something she wasn’t sure how she was going to […]

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#ThatWellnessThing – Join us at the Langley Education Centre – Feb. 26th, 2020

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Join us to learn more about mental health and wellness at our 3rd Annual Open House & Community Resource Fair! #ThatWellnessThing WHEN: Wednesday February 26, 2020 – 4:30 – 7PM @ Langley Education Centre. WHERE: 21405A 56 Avenue, Langley, B.C. Students 16+, adults, and school staff welcome. No registration required. Light refreshments and on site […]

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Embracing Emotions to Create Change: Meet Scholarship Winner Kristine Robles

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With the support from the Otsuka-Lunbeck Alliance, we are so proud to announce Kristine Robles as one of the recipients of a Stigma-Free Society scholarship for post-secondary education. Kristine is currently enrolled as a full-time student in the Master of Counselling Psychology: School and Youth program at Adler University. These scholarships are awarded to inspirational […]

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RSVP Today for SFS Annual General Meeting Nov. 11th !

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Our Annual General Meeting will be held on November 11, 2019, at 6:00 – 7:30 pm at the Century Plaza Hotel in Vancouver. Our AGM is sponsored by Century Plaza Hotel and we are extremely grateful that they have offered the Burrard Ballroom for our event. There will be light refreshments provided by our generous […]

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Stigma-Free Society Scholarship Opportunity!

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The Stigma-Free Society is thrilled to be partnering with the Otsuka-Lundbeck Alliance to offer two deserving youth a scholarship of $2000 to be allocated to their educational pursuits. Two B.C. students experiencing the effects of social stigmatization, either because of mental illness, LGBTQ+, homelessness, race, or addictions issues, will be selected to receive this scholarship […]

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AutismBC is Working Towards a Stigma-Free Zone Designation

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Over the past year, AutismBC has worked to create an internal cultural shift. With new leadership in place, the organization has committed to an in-depth process of identifying organizational gaps on matters of inclusion. Not wanting to sit back, and assume, or defend that they are inclusive, staff and board members have dedicated themselves to […]

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Welcome to Lindsay Goulet – Our New Community Development Manager for Van Island

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We are so excited to welcome Lindsay Goulet as our new staff member and leader on Vancouver Island! Robyn Thomas has since gone to Victoria Women’s Transition House as a Community Manager. We are so happy to have had you with us for 3 years Robyn, thank you for your time with the Stigma-Free Society. […]

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Stigma-Free Society Opportunity – Part-Time Community Development Officer

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Stigma-Free Society Employment Job Description Position: Community Development Manager (CDM) Victoria, BC Annual Salary: $30,000 gross salary annually Job Application deadline: September 15th, 2019 Community Development Officer Duties: Act in a leadership role by encouraging and meeting with the Stigma-Free Society’s four program staff members under the direction of the Society’s President; Work as part […]

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Ten-Year Old Owen is Paving the Way for Future Generations

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Owen is 10 years old and started experiencing severe anxiety in grade 2, and his mental illness continues to induce panic attacks during the most difficult moments in his life. He became officially diagnosed in grade 5 with anxiety and depression. I spoke with Owen for this particular story and he is a genuine, cheery, […]

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Hiring a new Stigma-Free Zone School and Community Presenter in Metro Vancouver

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The Stigma-Free Society is currently looking to hire an additional Stigma-Free Zone School and Community Presenter to join our Metro Vancouver team! The Stigma-Free Society provides education and awareness about the effects of stigma, as well as peer support for those facing personal challenges in hopes of fostering acceptance of ourselves and others. One of our […]

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Jason: 1 – Stigma: 0 – My Battle with Mental Illness at Home and in the Workplace

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I was diagnosed with a mental illness at 29 years old, but the greatest challenge I faced wasn’t the illness itself. It is was the suffocating stigma that came with it. I am speaking of the stigma that still surrounds mental illness, and the lack of empathy and understanding that follows – and that’s at […]

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