The Do More Agriculture Foundation (DMA) and Farm Credit Canada (FCC) have announced they are extending and expanding their partnership to bring mental health awareness and training to rural Canada.

Under the pilot project, FCC provided $50,000 in funding to facilitate mental health first aid training in 12 communities across Canada.

As a result, 236 rural residents are now certified mental health first aid responders and leaders.

In 2020, FCC will invest an additional $100,000.

“Mental health issues impact every segment of our society and those who work in Canada’s thriving agriculture and food industry are not immune,” said Michael Hoffort, FCC president and CEO. “As a committed partner to this industry, we recognize the need for increased mental health support in agriculture, where people – often located in rural Canada – can sometimes feel isolated and don’t always know who to turn to for help.”

Applications for training program funding will open later this fall.

Source: https://steinbachonline.com