With a goal to raise $30,000 throughout the November campaign, thanks to generous support from across the Niagara Community and a powerful gift match from Meridian, today we are proudly celebrating that $119, 610.38 has been raised for Pathstone through the #ProjectPlaid Campaign, four times the projected goal!

At a time where the news continues to be less than glowing, this financial boost for Pathstone will expediate our efforts to reduce wait times for kids who continue to need exceptional mental health support. These are wait times that didn’t exist ahead of the pandemic.

Project Plaid’s creation was rooted in community and family following the tragic loss of Amelia Durocher to suicide in February of 2019. Plaid was Amelia’s signature style and has served as the backdrop for this movement. This past November 26th, dubbed Plaid Friday, our community wore plaid, rolled out fundraisers and came together to share and talk with one another about mental health.

The response from across Niagara and beyond was overwhelming. It seemed every other post on social was around #ProjectPlaid. 900 toques and thousands of stickers were sold. But most important, true conversations were being had in schools, offices and with families around mental health and how to seek support. We are still stuck in what is being called a dual crisis, the lingering global pandemic and the further detriment it’s inflicting on our mental health. This year, we felt that the campaign provided an atmosphere welcoming of conversation around mental health. Kim Rossi, Director of Philanthropy & PR- Pathstone Foundation.

 Mental Health matters, and regardless of the VERY successful fundraising efforts in our community and boosting power Meridian provided by way of matching donations, the real value was in opening up conversations. We need to talk about it and provide support to help our Employees, our Members and people in our community. Shelley Dix, District Vice President, Niagara District – Meridian

 From here on in, every year, Black Friday will be known as Plaid Friday, in support of #ProjectPlaid. But the conversation around mental health isn’t a one day, or one-month affair, It’s a 24/7 effort.

 *Special thanks to the Niagara Ice Dogs, Meridian Centre, and the Portraits in the Vineyard event which added $10,000 to our fundraising efforts.

 About Pathstone Mental Health

A community-based organization with a mission to provide innovative and effective treatment for all children in Niagara struggling with mental health issues. Thanks to support from our donors and volunteers, we are able to address and meet the needs of more children and their families each year. We are the primary accredited provider of mental health services for children in Niagara and also a lead agency for the province of Ontario. Pathstone has been helping kids for over 50 years in Niagara. Note, Crisis & Support is offered 24/7 by calling 1-800-263-4944.

About Meridian

With more than 75 years of banking history, Meridian is Ontario’s largest credit union, and second largest in Canada, helping to grow the lives of 380,000 Members. Meridian has $27.6 billion in assets under management (September 30, 2021) and delivers a full range of financial services online, by phone, by mobile and through a network of 89 branches across Ontario, and business banking services in 15 locations. Meridian cardholders also have access to over 43,000 surcharge-free ABMs in North America with THE EXCHANGE® Network and the Allpoint Network in the US. For more information, please visit: meridiancu.ca, follow us on Twitter @MeridianCU or visit us on Facebook

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