GRAVENHURST, ON-The Gravenhurst Rotary Club has been given a $ 1 million donation anonymously in support of children and youth mental health.
In a note from the donor, they were concerned about the rise of anxiety, depression and panic attacks among the youth and the alarming rate of suicide in young people saying that “it takes a community to raise a child.”
To ensure a long-term impact, to donation will be managed as an endowment fund and that the Rotary Club expects that interest and dividends of the initial investment will provide $40,000 to $50,000 every year and be used to help young people in need.
The donor said that the funds are to be used “to facilitate access to professional support for children and youth, all genders, ages 5-25 who are diagnosed with mental illness and/or considered to be in crisis or at high risk.”
The Rotary Club is currently developing the structures and policies that are needed to manage the fund responsibly. It plans on working with community partners over the next few months to establish eligibility criteria and design a process for assessing applications and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2020.