Tara Jeffrey
A picturesque sunset can be more than a likeable post on Instagram.
“It’s that shining moment at the end of the day — even on the bad days — that you made it through,” said Lindsay Kirkland, a member of Voices of Youth, a youth engagement committee with St. Clair Child and Youth services.
“There’s no better feeling than looking up and seeing a cotton candy sky.”
Kirkland and her peers are launching a sunset-themed special project for Mental Health week, May 6-10, encouraging local youth to spread the word about mental health and share their stories.
They’ve been working on an art mural that will be revealed next week in Point Edward, near the old Balmoral Tavern.
“We’re hoping it will start conversations,” member Janessa Labadie said of the project, which encourages viewers to take photos at the mural and share on social media with the hashtag #OneMoreSunset.
The mural, which they’re keeping a secret until the unveiling on May 6 at 5 p.m., was designed by members of the committee together with members of the Indigenous Health Planning Committee Youth Council.
“They really wanted to do something that would get youth out of the house, and they’re really hoping it goes viral on social media to spread their message,” said Emily Powell, a social worker and staff ally for the Voices of Youth committee.
The committee is affiliated with The New Mentality, a provincial network of youth and allies working to change the mental health system. About 20 members make up the committee, aged 12 to 24, launched last fall, and they’re already making strides in the community, she said.
“From simple things like adding fidgets to the agency lobby to make it more youth-friendly, to meeting with MPPs and speaking to government about what needs to change in terms of funding for mental health.
“Some of our youth have lived experiences, some have friends or family with lived experiences, and some hope to work in the field someday,” she added.
“But honestly, the common theme is that they’re all really passionate, and it’s just amazing to see their advocacy and work to make change.”