Randy Chu is Jane’s Mental Health Advocate.
When he’s not supporting our Mental Health practices, he can be found teaching yoga or making a mess in the kitchen.
Hi Jane Community,
My name is Randy, and I’m so happy to have the opportunity to share one of the most rewarding parts of my job with you today. I have the privilege of awarding an eligible non-profit or charity a Jane Bursary every month. The bursary provides a free or subsidized Jane subscription in the hopes that Jane can make the incredible work these groups do a little bit easier.
I have a Slack channel dedicated to sharing bursary recipients’ stories with my team, and I realized that all of you, our lovely, caring community, might like to hear about them as well!
Below, you can read a little bit about just a few of these organizations and head over to their websites if you’d like to learn more or support them in the amazing work they do. If you or someone you know works with a registered charity or a nonprofit, or offers free or discounted services based on need, please reach out so we can see if we’d be a good fit.
You might need to have a box of kleenex close by (I know I always do). These stories really tug at the heartstrings. 💙
Riseup Society Alberta
Riseup Society Alberta is an outreach centre focused on bringing awareness to, and helping those who have suffered from, intimate partner violence. They aim to educate communities on how domestic abuse can be prevented, while providing services for those affected, such as individual and group counselling.
Learn more about Riseup Society
Trail FAIR Society
Trail FAIR Society has been providing free, confidential services in the Greater Trail area for over 40 years. Their aim is to work with families to build a stronger community. They run over 19 community programs and offer a range of services from family resources to counselling to crisis and legal assistance.
Learn more about Trail FAIR Society
F.L.O.W Drop-In
F.L.O.W. Drop-in is a centre for survivors of human trafficking, those experiencing human trafficking, and those at risk of being trafficked. Any female-identified and non-binary individual can receive barrier-free access to wrap-around services, such as safety planning, counselling, drop-in groups, peer support, referral to external resources, and legal advocacy.
Learn more about F.L.O.W Drop-In
iHuman Youth Society
iHuman Youth Society is a nonprofit that works with marginalized young people ages 12 to 24. They provide programs in the arts, including painting, music, and fashion. They also provide support in mental health, caregiving, and more, in order to amplify creative expression, address needs, and support goals that privilege young voices.
Learn more about iHuman Youth Society
Vancouver Friends For Life Society
Vancouver Friends For Life Society is an innovative wellness centre whose mission is to provide emotional, informational, spiritual, and practical support to people living with life-challenging illness such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, and cancer. Their programs and services are focused on promoting wellness while clients undergo primary medical care.
Learn more about Vancouver Friends For Life Society
Groundswell Community Project
Groundswell is an organization of intersectional womxn helping individuals and communities find healing through research-based surf therapy. Using somatic, trauma-informed, nature, and community therapy models, Groundswell’s wide variety of programming helps womxn and their communities across the globe overcome trauma.
Learn more about Groundswell Community Project
Avalon Sexual Assualt Centre
The Avalon Sexual Assault Centre is a feminist organization providing care for those affected by all forms of sexualized violence. They are working to change the current socio-political culture that fosters sexism, social injustice, and oppression, while also providing free individual and group counselling and sexual assault examinations to survivors.
Learn more about Avalon Sexual Assualt Centre
Daya Counselling Services
Daya Counselling Centre is working to build a healthy community by fostering a culture of wholeness, health, and mental wellness through counselling and education. They provide thousands of hours of free and subsidized care for their clients every year. They believe all people have the right to mental health care regardless of their ability to pay.
Learn more about Daya Counselling Services
Herban Health
Herban Health is an organization providing free holistic healthcare to their community. They work with organizations to reach people in their own environments and offer services like acupuncture, yoga, meditation, and nutrition classes. Their goal is to enhance these environments so that the people living in them have opportunities to develop and thrive.
Learn more about Herban Health
Durham Rape Crisis Centre
The Durham Rape Crisis Centre provides support to survivors of sexual violence. Through advocacy, education, and legal support, they work to bring an end to violence against women and children in their community. The centre operates a 24-hour crisis line and offers a wide range of counselling services for survivors and their supporters.
Learn more about DRCC
Ashley Boca Mindfulness Foundation
The Ashley Boca Mindfulness Foundation supports those affected by Borderline Personality Disorder and the spectrum of mental illnesses associated with it. They provide educational and awareness-raising events, as well as an online peer wellness group that allows participants to connect and gain tools to support them in their mental health journey.
Learn more about Ashley Boca Mindfulness Foundation
Ronald McDonald House of BC & Yukon
Ronald McDonald House operates a 73-bedroom house near B.C. Children’s Hospital, as well as a family room at Surrey Memorial Hospital. Their goal is to keep families together while children heal from serious illnesses. They aim to foster an environment filled with hope and love as they provide housing and a range of services for families of sick children.
Learn more about Ronald McDonald House
Jewish Addiction Community Services
JACS Vancouver is an organization serving primarily the Jewish community in addiction-related services. They offer one-on-one counselling, recovery support, navigation support, and community education. Their treatment modalities provide solution-focused programming that is informed by Jewish values, traditions, principles, and practices.
Learn more about Jewish Addiction Community Services
Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness
The Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness is a society dedicated providing culturally-supportive and affordable housing for Indigenous communities on Vancouver Island. They care for their community through a 4-pillared approach that includes access to housing and free mental health counselling, along with safety and wellness support.
Learn more about Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness
22 Zero
22 Zero is an organization working to eliminate symptoms of PTSD in first responders, military, and veterans in the US and Canada. They are researching new methods of treatment with incredibly encouraging results. Through a variety of programs, including individual coaching and peer support, they’re helping individuals overcome emotional suffering and build resiliency.
Learn more about 22 Zero
Soloss
Soloss is an Edmonton-based initiative on a mission to create a community of care for those experiencing grief and loss. Through flexible, peer-to-peer support and creative medium or practice, they help folks turn their grief into concrete forms or rituals. They are exploring the healing power of listening and creativity as a contribution to traditional wellness practices.
Learn more about Soloss
Addy’s Colors
Addy's Colors is non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the lives of children who have, fought, or passed away from life-threatening illnesses. We provide support services and programs for children and their families to honour each child and family's strengths, personality, and fight against their illness.
Learn more about Addy’s Colors
Jails to Jobs
Jails to Jobs gives previously incarcerated and soon-to–be-released men and women the tools they need to find employment. They provide New Entry Job Hunting Plans, a directory of companies with fair chance hiring policies, free clothes for job interviews, and a free or low cost tattoo removal program.
Learn more about Jails to Jobs
Accupuncturists Without Borders
Acupuncturists Without Borders provides relief, recovery and support to communities affected by disasters, conflict, environmental devastation, poverty and social injustice.
Learn more about Accupuncturists Without Borders
Alzheimer Society
The Alzheimer Society of Timmins-Porcupine District exists to alleviate the personal and social consequences of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders and to promote research.
Learn more about Alzheimer Society
Island Métis Family and Community Services Society
Located in Victoria, BC, their mission since 1996 has been to research, develop, implement and evaluate human service programs for the Métis people of Vancouver Island.
Learn more about Island Métis Family and Community Services Society
Skipping Stone
Skipping Stones’ mission is to connect trans and gender diverse youth, adults, and families with comprehensive and low barrier access to the support they need and deserve.
Learn more about Skipping Stone
Is someone chopping onions in here? 🥲Â
I hope you enjoyed learning more about these wonderful organizations, and please do visit the websites linked under their section if you’d like to learn more about how you can support them. I, and the rest of the Jane team, are so honoured to be a small part of their stories. I’ll keep adding to this list as the bursary program grows, so be sure to check back soon! If you’re the recipient of a Jane bursary and would like to be included, please let me know.
Thank you all for doing the work you do! As I mentioned above, if you or someone you know works with a registered charity or a nonprofit, or offers free or discounted services based on need, please reach out so we can chat. 💙
Take good care,
Randy, on behalf of the Jane team
If you’ve enjoyed learning about our bursary recipients, you can read more in-depth profiles about the work they do in our Community Stories series: