The Saskatchewan Chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association has been contending with an increase in mental health concerns during the pandemic. The agency operates programs and provides supports for those in need and is reliant on fundraising to do that.

At the same team, people suffering with mental illness and feeling the strain on various aspects of their lives turn to a variety of outlets. Among those are art and writing, both of which have been proven to have powerful therapeutic value.

That’s where the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Cash Calendar Campaign merges the two. As it has in previous years, the CMHA is calling for submissions of art and writing for its 2022 Cash Calendar. The calendar not only helps raise funds, but it raises awareness about the need for mental health supports in the province.

“We are looking for any type of artwork, from paintings to sketches or pictures of their pottery,” explains Vera Thompson, Director of Resource Development with the CMHA. “I have had poetry come in. These are things that people would use as an outlet. They have to submit a little quote to explain how the artwork helps their mental health.” 

Those works are then integrated into the calendar, along with the stories of hope and healing. The idea is that the purchaser of the calendar will receive a message about the power of the arts in managing mental health. The calendars also raise awareness of the importance of mental health and issues surrounding it. 

Thompson provides the testimonial of a young artist whose work appeared in the 2021 calendar and who has submitted for the 2022 edition.

“She has submitted three pieces of artwork, and one of her mentions was that her paintings have kept her from being depressed. Because she was stuck in her home and couldn’t leave, it helped her to focus on something else other than the four walls around her.”

The calendar acts as a learning tool for those who have little lived experience with mental illness, says Thompson.

The 2022 calendar bears the theme of “Saskatchewan Strong”, which reflects the resolve of the people in the face of the many challenges that accompany the pandemic. The funds from the calendar go to help deliver the CMHA’s programs in the province, as well as to advocacy and education. The new Hope Recovery College brings together people needing support with caregivers and those with lived experience. The face to face program had just opened when the pandemic hit in 2020, explains Thompson. The hope is to have it up and running in tandem with online programs that have emerged during the pandemic. Many of the classes are free. 

“It allows everyone to come together to work collaboratively to learn about what people have gone through and to offer what has helped them moving forward in their life with an illness.”

Sales have concluded for the 2021 Cash Calendar, but workers will soon mobilize on sales for the 2022 edition. 

To find out more about the Cash Calendar or about the programs or services provided by the Canadian Mental Health Association in Saskatchewan, connect with them at https://sk.cmha.ca/. The final date for submissions is April 15, 2021.