- Donation comes amid growing demand for Naseeha's mental health
services tailored to Muslim communities
TORONTO, June 16, 2021 /CNW/ - BMO Financial Group today
announced it will donate $100,000 to
Naseeha, a mental health hotline to support mental health services
for Muslim communities. The donation follows the deadly hit-and-run
incident in London, Ontario on
June 6 that claimed the lives of four
family members.
Naseeha is a Mississauga-based
registered charity that provides peer-to-peer support, web therapy
sessions and mental health services to Muslims and non-Muslims. In
the wake of the tragedy in London,
Naseeha's mental health hotline is experiencing an unprecedented
influx of calls and an urgent need for expansion.
BMO's support will enable Naseeha to hire two counsellors –
increasing its permanent counsellor roster from six to eight – and
help expand its volunteer capacity from 15 to 25. In addition, the
donation will allow Naseeha to expand its hours of operation and
support community members through calls and texts in a greater
number of languages.
"In the aftermath of tragedy, there is a ripple effect that
touches the lives of people across the world. Our community is
deeply mourning and our counselors at Naseeha have been witness to
the collective pain of our community not just within Canada, but globally," said Muhsin Kermalli, Interim Executive Director,
Naseeha. "We carry a huge trust to shoulder the stories of those
whose mental health is impacted by such tragedy, and we are deeply
grateful to BMO for helping us in doing so. We are confident this
funding will allow us to respond to the rising need of front-line
mental health support through the helpline, text line, web therapy,
and outreach initiatives."
"The ability for Naseeha to expand its team and services to
provide support to Muslim Canadians who have been hit hardest by
this tragedy is critical, with many in the community in urgent need
of mental health support. All of us at BMO are inspired by the
impact Naseeha is making with its work and we look forward to
continue working together to grow the good in our communities,"
said Rick Jaques, Regional
President, Greater Ontario, BMO
Bank of Montreal.
Naseeha offers web therapy in English, French, Urdu, and Arabic.
Although geared to Muslim communities, Naseeha offers services to
all people, regardless of religion, race, and ethnicity, as well as
age, sexual orientation, gender identity, family makeup, social
status, income, ability, and physical and mental health.
To learn more about Naseeha, visit: https://naseeha.org.
About BMO Financial Group
Serving customers for
200 years and counting, BMO is a highly diversified financial
services provider - the 8th largest bank, by assets, in North
America. With total assets of $950 billion as
of April 30, 2021, and a team of diverse and highly engaged
employees, BMO provides a broad range of personal and commercial
banking, wealth management and investment banking products and
services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business
through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking,
BMO Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.
About Naseeha
Naseeha is a mental health hotline, and
so much more. Naseeha answers calls noon to
midnight seven days a week from around the world from Muslim
and non-Muslims. Naseeha is a bridge for individuals who are going
through life's challenges. Where hope is lost, Naseeha is found.
The organization provides a safe zone for youth and individuals to
talk to and get the help they need on topics such as loss, marriage
and divorce, pornography, domestic issues, bullying, relationships,
religion, drugs and alcohol, and more. Naseeha provides hundreds of
workshops to youth across North
America, web therapy sessions in English, French, Urdu and
Arabic, and offers SMS mental health support every day.
SOURCE BMO Financial Group