NEWS RELEASE
ROTARY CLUB OF STRATFORD
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The Rotary Club of Stratford is reaffirming its commitment to the mental health and well-being of our community by renewing its support for the Mental Health Unit at the Stratford General Hospital site of the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA). This renewed pledge of $300,000 supports the Stratford General Hospital Foundation’s current In Our Hands Capital Campaign and builds on the Club’s history of impactful contributions, including their significant involvement in the 2009 Heart and Soul Campaign.
In 2009, the Rotary Club of Stratford took a stand against stigma and for patient dignity by sponsoring the Mental Health Unit as part of the Heart and Soul Campaign. Their support helped ensure access to high-quality mental health care in an environment that is supportive and respectful to patients and their families.
“Mental health is top of mind for everyone,” says Craig Pearce, Rotary Club of Stratford President. “Supporting the Mental Health Unit at the Stratford General Hospital ensures that everyone receives the help they need with acceptance and understanding.”
This renewed pledge will enable vital improvements to the Mental Health Unit, including replacing beds, upgrading the Safe Room and Communication Station, and enhancing safety sets, sound systems, virtual supports and a care kits.
As the only Schedule 1 Mental Health facility in Perth County, the HPHA – Stratford General Hospital’s Mental Health Unit provides care to patients 16 years of age and older. In the 2023-24 fiscal year the unit cared for 610 patients.
“The Rotary Club of Stratford has been a key partner in advancing mental health care in our community,” says Cheryl Hunt, Executive Director of the Stratford General Hospital Foundation. “Their ongoing support speaks to their dedication to improving lives.” Mental illness impacts all Canadians at some point, either personally or through the experience of a loved one. In any given year, one in five people in Canada will personally experience a mental health illness, and by age 40, nearly half of the population will have had or be living with a mental illness.
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