I am Mobeen. In past, I suffered from mental illness including anxiety and depression, mood disorder, hopelessness, lack of motivation to move on in my life, and suicidal thoughts. I have witnessed and experienced workplace discrimination and the stigma associated with my culture, race, and ethnicity. I am advocating for myself by learning and applying principles in mental health wellness. I am choosing this field as I have a history of struggle. I can understand the mental health issues of others and help them make better choices.

Self-care

Self-care is a priority and necessity, not a luxury.

I now have incorporated certain habits and activities into my self-care toolbox. I express and share my feelings with loved ones to get emotional support. I try to spend time with my family and friends. I get frequent massages. To better manage my self-care, I try to find positive energies around me by doing extracurricular activities, including playing badminton, doing BBQ, leisure trips, etc. I need to continue to practice these patterns for proper management of mental health. I am fond of birds and budgies and currently am a pet owner of budgies. I now try to reflect on my feelings and think about patterns that would help me find a good balance between family, relationships, play, rest, study, etc.

Food Insecurity, Poverty, and its Link to Mental Health Illness

Among many social issues in Toronto, food insecurity, homelessness, and poverty are wicked problems that lead to mental health issues and affect peoples' abilities to function in society. According to Toronto Public Health, food insecurity is inadequate or insecure access to food due to lack of money which affects almost 1 in 5 Toronto households (18.5 %) and is a serious public health issue because it is closely related to negative mental and physical health outcomes.

The discrimination and stigma associated with poverty and homelessness are making vulnerable people even more susceptible to suffering from long-term mental health issues and suicidal tendencies. My objective is to fight hunger, help reduce food waste, fight food insecurities and poverty, and support CAMH and its objectives in tackling mental health issues while giving people hope for tomorrow through this fundraiser.

What is the Save-the-Bread initiative?

Save-the-Bread venture is different from the CAMH fundraising. Like many others, I am also aganist food waste. I support that store/bakery baked breads are not wasted at the end of the day and that every bread finds a home. Many bakeries donate unsold goods to local charitable programs at the end of the day. Many volunteers visit local bakeries to pick up the unsold bread and baked goods which they distribute to local charities. On the other hand, there are still many grocery stores and bakeries that simply throw away food/baked goods, especially bread, at the end of the day. There are still a lot of people who spend nights on the streets on empty stomachs. Please join me for this cause to collect food/bread from such stores and distribute food to the homeless and give them better hopes for tomorrow.

Please Donate!

This fundraiser supports CAMH, Canada's leading mental health hospital.

Did you know that 1 in 5 Canadians experience mental illness in any given year? And that 4,000 Canadians die by suicide every year—almost 11 people per day?

And yet, many don't realize that, in its most severe forms, mental illness can be fatal.

With your support, we can change how the world sees and treats mental illness. We can break down stigma and lead important conversations about suicide prevention. We can give people time to get the help they need; families time to heal; and researchers and clinicians time to make breakthroughs and offer new treatment options.

Please donate today.

Together, we can give people hope for a better tomorrow.