Helping Ourselves Through Peer Support & Employment (HOPE) Brant is gearing up for its seventh annual Walk for HOPE event at Mohawk Park on Saturday, September 20, 2025.
HOPE Brant is run by, and for, consumers of mental health services, and provides meaningful employment, advocacy and mental health peer support for the region of Brantford-Brant.
Joanne Cleland, the centre’s program manager, said funds from the event will go towards the organization’s weekend services.
“One-hundred per cent of the money goes towards supporting our after-hours peer support drop-in program which is held on Saturdays and Sundays,” she said. “Most mainstream services are closed on the weekend and so those programs allow people to come and chat with other like-minded people. Everybody that attends all live with a mental illness, and or, a substance-use disorder. It’s great because they’re able to be around other people, and if they want to chat one-on-one, we do have trained peer specialists so they’re able to get that support if it’s needed too.”
Cleland went on to say that because there’s still a lot of stigma around mental health, the drop-in peer support programs provide a safe space to where people can feel comfortable sharing.
“It’s just a non-judgemental environment where people can feel safe and open up. On Saturdays, we have coffee, snacks and a planned activity, so if they want to participate in the activity they can, and if not, that’s okay too,” she said. “On Sundays, we offer group peer support; we don’t have any activities or anything like that, but people come and they take their turn going around the table and if something is bothering them, or if they’re struggling with a symptom of their illness, then there’s all these people around them to support them and get them through. There’s a lot of power in support groups and I think that when you hear what other people are going through, you don’t feel so alone and that’s pretty significant.”
The programs manager added that she and the team are hoping to reach their goal of $10,000 and that any donation, big or small, will help.
“Last year we fell short, but we understand that times are tough for a lot of people and so we appreciate whatever people can give, even if it’s just $20, that’s something that will still help us make a difference,” said Cleland.
She also added that thanks to their sponsors, they’ve already raised just over $5,000.
“We really rely on our volunteers and our sponsors to help us wherever they can, and they are just so important to us. I really have to give a big shout out to the Brant-Norfolk-Haldimand branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Sinden Construction,, L.P. Dozer Service, Brant Mental Health Solutions, Pathways to Hope, Millards, SOAR Community Services and Link Haven Farms. We always have good sponsors, but this year they really stepped up and we’re so happy and grateful for them because we already received a total of just over $5,000. I also have to say thank you to our wonderful friends, Altitude Coffee Roasters, Alice’s Restaurant, and Bialas Printing, because they’ve provided a huge financial relief for us too.”
For those who are interested in taking part in the event, they can meet under Mohawk Park’s shelter A (near the upper parking lot). Participants can drop-off their pledge sheets and pick up their free t-shirt during registration, from 9:30 to 10 a.m.
Opening remarks will take place from 10:15 to 10:25 a.m and the five-kilometre walk from the park to Harmony Square and back, will kick off at 10:30 a.m.
“Not everybody walks the five-kilometres, some will walk just one-kilometre and then go back, and others will stop by to support us and wish us well, so it’s flexible that way,” said Cleland. “After the walk, which generally takes about an hour, we’re going to celebrate with a free lunch and refreshments from Alice’s Restaurant and Altitude Coffee, and we also give out gift bags and do the draw for the door prize too. It’s not a very long day, we’re usually wrapped up by 2:00 p.m.”
Cleland also added that if people can’t make it to the walk and they would like to donate nonetheless, they can do so through e-transfer at helping@hopebrant.ca
Overall, the programs manager said she’s looking forward to seeing people come out to the event, and that she hopes people will continue to have open conversations about mental health and will work towards breaking the stigma surrounding it.
“I know it’s slowly changing, but the stigma around mental health is pretty significant and it’s going to take a long time to change that mindset, but we’re getting there and we just have to keep working towards that” said Cleland.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
