'Friendly Calls' program expands to focus on support for Indigenous communities
A program run by the Canadian Red Cross that supports people with mental health challenges is being expanded, thanks to special funding from Bell Let’s Talk.
The $250-thousand partnership will enhance access to crisis services for people living with mental health challenges.
Friendly Calls began a few years ago and became a Canada-wide program in 2020. Now, a pilot project is starting in Manitoba this spring, tailored to the culture and needs of Indigenous groups, who are often located in remote areas.
Eighty-four-year old Pauline Werbowetsky became a Friendly Calls client a year ago, after a year of the pandemic left her lonely and down in her small community of Roblin, Manitoba.
Daughter-in-law Carmen Werbowetsky, who lives a 10-hour drive away in Edmonton recommended she join the program.
“Before the pandemic, she was quite connected in her community, with her church and other connections in the community but that hasn’t been the way over the past two years,” Carmen Werbowetsky said. “ She’s lost a lot of those connections.”
But now, Carmen can hear the energy and enjoyment in Pauline’s voice during their weekly phone calls. She says the Friendly Calls are often the highlight of Pauline’s week. Plus she knows if mental health problems start to creep in, the Red Cross volunteer is trained to spot them.
“They talk about all the things that are of importance and interest to her and it sounds like they have a lot in common,” Carmen Werbowetsky said about volunteer Catherine Sykes.
Sykes, who hails from Swift Current, Saskatchewan, was paired with Pauline after training and personal interviews. While she thought she would be doing something good for someone else, she says it also brings her joy.
“I ended up getting something like a surrogate grandmother," Sykes said. “She’s just a delight!”
Sykes said she started with 20-minute phone calls to Pauline but now their chats usually last an hour.
She said she is looking forward to training for the Indigenous Friendly Calls program, which is being developed with input from Indigenous elders and knowledge keepers.
“We are really looking at doing cultural safety training which encompasses a few different things,” Red Cross Director of Indigenous Relations, Shelley Cardinal, said. “We are looking at cultural awareness, we’re looking at cultural sensitivity”.
Cardinal said Indigenous culture has a holistic approach to health, in which mental, emotional and spiritual well-being are considered equally important to physical well-being.
But, she also points out that across Canada, there are many different First Nations, with different languages, beliefs and practices. She said offering mental health support to Indigenous communities will require training and sensitivity.
Still, she said, it will not be required that those volunteering with the new Friendly Calls program be of Indigenous backgrounds, but they must listen with care, without judgement and with cultural awareness.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Canadian-Israeli man shot dead in Egypt; claim links killing to Gaza
A Canadian man 'of Jewish Israeli descent' has been shot dead in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in a suspected criminal case, a security source said, while a previously unknown militant group said it carried out the attack in reaction to the war in Gaza.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Bank of Canada says financial system is stable, but risks remain
The Bank of Canada says the Canadian financial system is stable, but risks remain due to debt servicing costs among households and businesses and stretched valuations of financial assets.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.