Mental health - sometimes we take it for granted. Often, we don’t even realize we or those close to us are suffering. That’s why it is encouraging that more and more people are talking about it and bringing the issue to light.

This past April, our Wabush branch in Newfoundland and Labrador had the privilege of supporting a Mental Health Week event in Labrador City. The event, called “Mental Health Break” took place on April 25th and was hosted by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and Menihek High School. It marked the beginning of the 66th Annual Canadian Mental Health Association’s Mental Health Week—May 1st to 7th.

Guest speaker, Danielle MacPherson was flown in from Halifax and gave students and staff an open and candid talk about her struggles with Mental Health. Audience members were captivated by Danielle's journey going from a high school cheerleader to a University varsity athlete to a drug addict then homeless. Danielle also spoke about how she had attempted suicide several times and subsequently became involved in criminal activity. Despite her struggles, Danielle was able to gain strength and turn a negative into a positive and ultimately create an inspiring story about her life. She received her university degree in Psychology from the University of Cape Breton with a diploma in mental illness and addiction counselling. And today, Danielle is one-year drug and alcohol free and the first female graduate of Nova Scotia's Court Monitored Drug Treatment Program.

At SMS Equipment, we care about our employees, their families and the communities where we live and work. That’s why we’re proud to support events such as the Mental Health Break at Menihek High School. We know that when we support causes and events that have a positive influence on our community everyone wins. In fact, we believe in supporting the communities we are part of.