Sunrise Credit Union Awarded Empowering Your Community Grant for Mental Health Library Project

L to R: Landon White (Principal), Heather Heide (Librarian), Sandrine Conrad (Worker, Westman Mental Wellness & Suicide Prevention Association), Cathy Williams (Co-Founder, Westman Mental Wellness & Suicide Prevention Association), Derian Penziwol (Boissevain Branch Manager, Sunrise Credit Union)

We are excited to announce that we have been awarded an Empowering Your Community Grant valued at $10,000 from Concentra & Equitable Bank to continue our School Mental Health Resource Libraries project. At Sunrise Credit Union, we are dedicated to giving back to our local communities and our youth. We believe that investing in young people today is an investment for the future as we aim to create opportunities that help them grow, thrive and succeed.

This grant, in partnership with the Westman Mental Wellness & Suicide Prevention Association, will go towards an initiative to bring mental health resource libraries to 14 schools across Western Manitoba. These resources will be available to students aged 5 and up, along with their educators, and will feature
age-appropriate literature that is professionally reviewed, sourced, and supported. Each library will include paper and digital books, wellness activities, workbooks, and mental health content, including directories for available support through local, provincial, and national services and programs. They will be designed to spark meaningful conversations, empower youth, and work towards reducing the stigma.

Establishing these libraries in schools not only provides students with access to these valuable mental health and wellness resources, but it also extends the support to our communities. By integrating these libraries into our educational spaces, we are creating safe environments for our youth and educators, and therefore their families to find support and information. The resources will be reviewed annually by mental health professionals and educators to ensure that they are up to date and relevant.

This grant builds on Sunrise’s $16,000 contribution in 2024 to the Westman Mental Wellness & Suicide Prevention Association, further strengthening our long-term commitment to supporting youth mental wellness in Manitoba. We can inspire hope while building brighter futures by working together.

Westman Mental Wellness & Suicide Prevention Association is a registered Canadian Charitable organization run by a group of dedicated volunteers. The Association provides funding and support to individuals, organizations and communities for initiatives supporting mental wellness and suicide prevention.