This year, Tuesday January 28 is Bell’s “Let’s Talk Day“.
On January 28, Bell will donate 5 cents to mental health programs for every text message sent and every long distance call made by Bell and Bell Aliant customers.
People who aren’t Bell customers can participate by Tweeting with #BellLetsTalk or sharing the Bell Let’s Talk image on Facebook.
The 2013 campaign generated $4.8M, nearly 25% more than the year before. Bell has now committed $62,043,289.30 to Canadian mental health based on its
original $50-million donation plus the results of the last 3 years of Bell Let’s Talk Day: $3,303,961.80 in 2011; $3,926,014.20 in 2012; and $4,813,313.30 in 2013.
Yesterday, a $2.5M donation was announced by Bell to mark the 25th anniversary of Kid’s Help Phone, to support the mental health and well-being of young people across Canada.
But this is about so much more than the money being donated and distributed.
Bell Let’s Talk Day is about talking. It is a day for talking about something that makes many people uncomfortable.
One in five Canadians will suffer from a mental illness at some point in their lives, yet still, mental health is an issue that most of us avoid talking about.
With its advertising campaign leading up to January 28, Bell Let’s Talk is about ending the stigma associated with mental health issues, or as I wrote in 2010, getting people talking about un-mentionables.
There are very few national brands that are powerful enough to take the lead in being an anchor supporter of mental health research and treatment; Bell’s approach – getting people to talk about it – aligns with communications, which is what the company does for a living.
Anti-stigma is one of the four pillars of the program. Overcoming the stigma is one of the biggest hurdles for anyone suffering from mental illness. Bell Let’s Talk Day is driving a national conversation, helping to reduce the stigma, promoting awareness and understanding as a first step toward lasting change.
I’d like you to support this initiative. Visit Bell’s website for more information or check out the press release.
On Tuesday, January 28 – Let’s talk.