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BC Muslim Association Makes Mental Health Matter
2-10-2015
VANCOUVER, BC, September 18, 2013 – The Muslim community rallied alongside Farida Bano Ali - a retired psychiatric nurse and community advocate – to raise awareness, hope and funding for people suffering with mental illness. Farida was so inspired after hearing CKNW host Jon McComb go public with his personal story about mental illness, that she encouraged the BC Muslim Association to host an educational fundraising dinner in support of the new mental health centre at Vancouver General Hospital. Chairperson of The Board of Women's Council, Farida collaborated with her husband, David Ali, VP Public relations and Communications, and BCMA's Shawkat Hasan, VP Social Services.
The event – a first initiative of its kind in partnership with VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation – was held on September 14,2013 at Masjid Al-Salaam in Burnaby and met with tremendous enthusiasm by members of BC’s Muslim Community, known for its compassion and generosity. In total, there were 150 guests, including Senator Mobina Jaffer, Burnaby-New Westminster MP Peter Julian, and representatives from the City of Burnaby, Burnaby library, Canadian Pakistani Women’s Society, SFU Centre for the Study of Gender Social Inequalities & Mental Health, Dominion Law Firm and the BC Muslim Association Executive along with Branch Directors and members.
The evening raised an impressive some of fund for the new Joseph & Rosalie Segal Family Health Centre, which will replace the current 70-yr old structure – providing a more positive, hopeful and healing environment for thousands of patients across BC.
Farida, who is no stranger to difficult subjects having organized other successful events including empowering women and domestic abuse, has seen firsthand how mental illness has impacted and destroyed families. “The stigma still exists,” she says, “Mental illness is prevalent across society and cultures. It has no boundaries and touches us all, irrespective of race, color or creed”.
The evening was full of lively discussion and engaging presentations, including key speaker and Outreach Psychiatric Nurse/Social Worker Mohamed Ibrahim, a PhD Candidate, who spoke about his research on mental health practices in the Canadian Muslim community. A team of psychiatric health care experts was also there to provide insight into the impact of mental illness in the ethnic community, as well as Jon McComb and members from the Muslim community who shared their own personal stories of struggle.
“Mental illness is more common than cardiovascular disease, affecting a staggering one in five Canadians at some point in their lives,” says Barbara Grantham, CEO and President, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation. “Whether it afflicts us personally, or those we love and care for, the impact on families, workplaces and communities, can be devastating. We are very grateful to the BCMA for opening their doors and hearts to us and for helping this often unspoken cause.”
“This event was a historic one in the Muslim community,” says David Ali, VP Public Relations & Communications, BCMA “and we will seek to host similar awareness and fundraising events for the new mental health centre at VGH. We are also urging other ethnic communities to join hands in this noble cause to make mental health matter. “
The second Fundraising was arranged in November 2014 at same venue and the Muslim community came out to lend their support for the cause. The first fundraising paved the way for community to understand fully the requirement for the new mental health centre. This was the first of its kind of educating our Muslim community on mental health and the lack of resources and facilities in British Columbia.
On January 27. 2015 the President of BC Muslim Association, Musa Ismail, presented a cheque for the total sum of $40,000 to the Executives of the VGH/UBC Hospital foundation. There were representation of officials of BC Muslim Association and Executives of VGH/UBC Hospital Foundation.
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