Earlier this week the Pathstone Foundation was honoured with an incredibly generous gift of $2 million from Niagara residents Greg and Diane Slaight.

Quite simply this gift changes everything. The $2 million donation means our mental health agency can take immediate action by hiring staff to reduce the waitlist, which has grown through the last two years of the pandemic.

Pathstone now has 570 kids waiting three to eight months for mental health support. The goal is to ensure this number is reduced — and fast.

The stigma around mental health has been greatly reduced over the past decade and more and more people are getting the message that they should “talk” when they need help.

Pathstone feels a great responsibility to be ready when kids are ready to do so. But finding staff has been difficult for us, just as it has been for many industries.

That said, with this donation, Pathstone will search beyond Niagara to recruit qualified team members and show them what an incredible place Niagara is to work, live and raise a family.

More staff means more kids across Niagara can be helped. So we are incredibly grateful to Greg and Diane for their donation. They are truly making a difference.

If you know a child or youth who needs mental health support, Pathstone can be reached 24/7 by calling 1-800-263-4944.

More information on our nine in-person walk-in clinics can be found at pathstonementalhealth.ca/walk-in-clinic. And anyone who would like to donate can do so by contacting me at KRossi@pathstone.ca.

Kim Rossi
Director of philanthropy
Pathstone Foundation