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NACCA seeks community support for Black mental health

Community organization launching $20,000 fundraising campaign for Black therapy fund
20221124-nacca-giving-tuesday
A promotional image for the Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association's Nov. 29 Giving Tuesday fundraising campaign.

The Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association is asking for your support to raise $20,000 to subsidize therapy for Black youth and families.

The organization has launched a Giving Tuesday campaign to fundraise for its Black therapy fund. The initiative offers three to five therapy sessions for York Region’s Black community.

“For many, the support has been life-changing and transformative,” NACCA said in a news release. “Some members in the community have very complex needs and are very grateful for the support provided.”

The organization said it has helped 58 individuals since the fund started in 2021, with 120 also benefiting from quarterly mental health workshops. 

The need is great for Black individuals, NACCA said. It added that they are more likely to qualify as low-income, with mental health issues also “not openly discussed in the Black community, and thus individuals struggle silently.” It also said that treatment providers are less likely to be Black, with many not educated on Black culture and struggles.

“We are passionate about creating partnerships that will benefit our community and have gathered a strong pool of culturally relevant and oppression-informed therapists from a variety of intersecting identities that we can connect community members to, supported by the fund,” NACCA said. “We are doing this work through collaborative partnerships with service providers that are all committed to making therapy more affordable and accessible.”

The campaign is running for the next two months. You can donate through canadahelps.org/en/charities/newmarket-african-caribbean-canadian-association/campaign/black-therapy-fund.

“No matter how much you are able to give, we are excited to work together with our community to bring therapy support directly to Black residents who need it."