With mental health struggles on the rise, we are making a commitment to bring mental health services closer to families in Niagara South.

Our goal is to ensure kids are in care and not sitting on a wait list which has begun to happen over the past two years. (current waitlist is 400+ kids)

Our problem is that in year one of the pandemic, we experienced a 35 percent spike in number of kids we were seeing. In year two, that caseload has not been stifled (approx. 10,000 kids seen each year). We need more space and more staff to respond to the growing needs, and it can’t wait another minute.

Our solution is to reach into every corner of our community, enabling us to see more kids and keep them closer to home. Nearly 40 percent of the kids and families we see are from Niagara South. That means, parents and caregivers are investing endless hours driving children to and from St. Catharines for mental health support.

Did you know?

The average drive-time for Niagara South residents to Pathstone’s St. Catharines site ranges from 22-43 minutes, each way.

+ This kind of commute also brings with it more missed appointments, and incomplete treatment programs making mental health success much more difficult to achieve.

In the past 12 months, 9,500 kids visited Pathstone, and nearly 3,800 travelled from Niagara South.

Here is where we currently stand.

• Once behind the walls, like every renovation there were more issues than solutions. As a result, our renovation budget is coming in at just over $800K.
• All funds raised through the campaign were earmarked to support renovations and staff.
• With the overage in renovations, ALL campaign dollars raised are supporting the renovation.
• Thanks to Diane & Greg Slaight’s $2M donation to Pathstone, designated to support additional staffing needs, we are adding new team members to be based out of River House.
• What we still need are funds to furnish three floors of River House.
• Gifts can be made in pledge installments, feel free to connect with the foundation to find out more about this option.

Community support has been, and is, paramount.

Thank you for helping us meet an exceptional need that has long been felt in Niagara South. Offering a Pathstone rooted site in yet another part of our Region allows us to support kids in every corner of our community.

Sincerely, Kim Rossi – Director of Fundraising & Communications at Pathstone Foundation.
krossi@pathstone.ca o. 905.688.6850 x 167