A Family of Support Grows

A few years ago, Brenna was struggling. The Alberta teenager had been diagnosed with anxiety years before, when she was a student in Grade 3. She had received care from her family doctor and from community resources, but the challenges persisted.

By 2022, Brenna, 18, was in the middle of a mental health crisis, and she was taken to Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton. It was there that she finally received the care she needed. “The Stollery got me connected with a psychiatrist,” says Brenna. “They were just amazing. They said we are going to do a meds review. We're going to go through your diagnosis.”

Brenna was diagnosed with ADHD, Tourette's and depression. Treatment changed everything, helping Brenna realize much of what she had struggled with was due to her undiagnosed disorders. Today, Brenna is in a much better place. “I feel hopeful, as if my story was not meant to be over,” says Brenna. “And I would not be able to share it if it weren't for my support system.”

Building those support systems in communities across Canada has been the goal of A Family of Support: Child & Youth Mental Health Initiative. This national partnership was launched in 2020 between The Sobey Foundation, Empire Company Limited (the parent of Sobeys Inc.), and Canada’s Children’s Hospital Foundations (CCHF). The initiative aims to build a Canada-wide circle of care addressing child and youth mental health.

Our renewed investment reflects both our gratitude for what’s been achieved and our belief in what is still to come.

Frank Sobey, Chair, The Sobey Foundation

A Family of Support just received a record $3.56 million donation following a nationwide fundraising campaign. And now, The Sobey Foundation, along with Empire and CCHF, has committed to A Family of Support for another five years to help ensure children, youth, and their families access timely and local expert care.

“The great work of the Child & Youth Mental Health Initiative continues to inspire our family, The Sobey Foundation, and our company,” says Frank Sobey, Chair of The Sobey Foundation. “Our renewed investment reflects both our gratitude for what’s been achieved and our belief in what is still to come.”

LOCAL SUPPORT

A Family of Support funds local mental health programs tailored to specific needs at Canada’s children’s hospitals. These programs are working to decrease stigma, strengthen families, and help more children and youth access the help they need. Each children’s hospital is able to direct where and how the funds can be used to make the biggest difference.

From the start, the focus has been to provide early help, close to home. “Family of Support is creating real, lasting change,” says Adam Starkman, CCHF President & CEO. “Thanks to the unwavering commitment of Empire Company Limited and The Sobey Foundation, this initiative has empowered 13 children’s hospitals across Canada to expand early intervention and crisis prevention programs.”

Since launching in 2020, the partnership has helped children’s hospitals across Canada treat and assess more than 220,000 children and youth, which is about 120 patients every day.

The hospitals have added and enhanced close to 100 treatment spaces, trained more than 17,000 mental health professionals and care providers, performed more than 98,000 assessments and treated more than 128,000 children and youth.

In total over the past five years, The Sobey Foundation, Empire, and CCHF have raised and donated more than $21.7 million in funds and in-kind support. All funds raised go directly to local early intervention programs, helping expand access to mental health support for families in communities across the country.

With its renewed five-year commitment, The Sobey Foundation continues to champion that change, working to ensure Canada’s children’s hospitals have the resources to respond sooner, support families better, and create environments where every young person can be seen, heard, and cared for.

MEETING THE CHALLENGE

Being seen, heard and helped is vital to addressing the mental health crisis affecting young people in this country. Despite progress, one in five children and youth in Canada are affected by mental illness each year, says Adam Starkman of the CCHF.

“Meeting this challenge demands urgent, sustained support to ensure every young person receives the care they need when they need it most,” says Starkman. “We are incredibly grateful to The Sobey Foundation, Empire and their amazing store teams for their continued commitment to child and youth mental health. This partnership is not only driving meaningful impact today, but helping build a stronger future for the next generation.”

Parents play a crucial role, says Christine, Brenna’s mom. “Mental health is health. Mental health is physical health. And so I think it's just really important for parents to know what's going on for the kids, talk to them. And that's just a really good way to be able to recognize all the risk factors associated with mental health.”

The support that Brenna has received has enabled her to flourish, says Christine. “Brenna has had quite the journey, and she's been struggling with her mental health for quite a few years, but has really sort of come into her own, and she's just doing amazing now.”

Brenna’s confidence has soared, says her mom. “Her confidence is unbelievable,” says Christine. “And she celebrates the fact that she's neurodivergent and she celebrates the fact that it's not a disorder. It's not an illness. It's just an expression of who Brenna is. And that's how we deal with it.”

Brenna is now a 2025 A Family of Support National Ambassador, a role she is embracing. “It's a big step into my journey, especially seeing how far I've come,” says Brenna. “I want to be a spokesperson for the people who can't speak for themselves. I'm just happy to be a face and a voice for other teenagers.”