Paper Excellence awards $50,000 as Giving Tuesday Matching Gift
Media Release
Thursday, November 23, 2023
PAPER EXCELLENCE SUPPORTS YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
Paper Excellence awards $50,000 as Giving Tuesday Matching Gift
For immediate release – Before the pandemic began, 1 in 7 young people in BC had one or more mental health disorders. As the effects of the pandemic continue to emerge, these challenges have been compounded and recent studies show 2 out of 3 young people now experience mental health issues. Paper Excellence has generously awarded Take a Hike with $50,000 as a matching gift for Giving Tuesday, to support youth mental health in BC.
Take a Hike empowers youth who experience vulnerability to change the trajectory of their lives with a full-time mental health and emotional well-being program embedded in an alternate education classroom. Take a Hike engages youth with intentional, continuous clinical counselling, land-based learning, and community. In Take a Hike, youth build strong relationships and gain the skills and resilience they need to graduate high school and achieve success however they define it.
Last year in the Take a Hike program:
· 78% of youth felt they were better able to cope with their mental health challenges.
· 77% of youth felt feelings of connection and belonging with their peers.
· 82% of youth felt they had developed the skills and knowledge needed to fulfil their goals and prepare for the future.
Paper Excellence’s support will be transformational in ensuring youth across BC will receive the mental health and well-being supports they need now more than ever. The matching gift will also allow donations to Take a Hike to have twice the impact during this holiday season.
“We are grateful for the continued support Paper Excellence has provided for Take a Hike and are elated by the matching gift for Giving Tuesday. This funding will provide uninterrupted mental health and well-being support to youth across BC and ensure youth are able to thrive on the journey of their lives.” – Gordon Matchett, Take a Hike CEO.
"We are proud to stand alongside Take a Hike in their efforts to address the critical issue of youth mental health in British Columbia,” said Chris Stoicheff, Senior Director Government Relations for Paper Excellence in British Columbia. “Paper Excellence believes that investing in the well-being of our youth is an investment in the future; this collaboration can help British Columbia youth in overcoming mental health challenges and achieving their full potential."