For Our Community. For Each Other.
The Kelly Mental Health Foundation
was officially founded in September 2018.
Linda Kelly, CEO of Kelly Mental Health,
formed the KMH Foundation to eliminate barriers for people trying to access mental health services.
was officially founded in September 2018.
Linda Kelly, CEO of Kelly Mental Health,
formed the KMH Foundation to eliminate barriers for people trying to access mental health services.
The wait lists in our city for mental health support continue to be as long as two years, and people that could otherwise have issues addressed and resolved if they were able to speak to a professional quickly were being left out in the cold.
KMH Foundation seeks to resolve the challenges in our community by:
- Helping individuals address and resolve mental health issues
- Educating the public to reduce the stigma around mental illness
- Helping our community understand and connect with one another
authentically in ways that promote quality of life for all of us.
"We had been losing people; people we loved were suffering...
And yet, all around us, there were private practitioners that were qualified and effective and could help, but they had to pay their bills too. I wanted to find a way to connect people in crisis to the resources available here, to my colleagues in the helping professions, without them having to worry about fees and wait lists if they couldn't afford to pay when their quality of life couldn't allow them to wait."
-Linda Kelly, MSW, RSW, Founder of KMH Foundation
And yet, all around us, there were private practitioners that were qualified and effective and could help, but they had to pay their bills too. I wanted to find a way to connect people in crisis to the resources available here, to my colleagues in the helping professions, without them having to worry about fees and wait lists if they couldn't afford to pay when their quality of life couldn't allow them to wait."
-Linda Kelly, MSW, RSW, Founder of KMH Foundation
We strive to bridge the gap between individuals and psychotherapy treatment,
and to strengthen the bonds of support, compassion, and knowledge about mental health in the community.
and to strengthen the bonds of support, compassion, and knowledge about mental health in the community.
"People's lives should not be put on a wait list.”
For Those Who Were Loved and Lost.
They often say that we go into the helping professions to right the wrongs of the world.
Many of us, devastated by tragedy, seek allies and join causes that renew our sense of hope after facing tremendous loss. Though we cannot rewrite history, and we can't save those that are already gone, sometimes we can find a way to make meaningful change by helping others.
Many of us, devastated by tragedy, seek allies and join causes that renew our sense of hope after facing tremendous loss. Though we cannot rewrite history, and we can't save those that are already gone, sometimes we can find a way to make meaningful change by helping others.
In 2019
KMH Foundation was approached by a group of friends brought together by their loss.
Andrew Miedema was a well-loved and deeply respected member of our community that tragically lost his life to suicide. In his memory, his closest friends formed the Andrew Miedema Charity Foundation to create better opportunities for people to seek help when they need it; to prevent further loss.
We connected with them in trying to do something special and unique, something different from the usual donation to large charities where we couldn't see the outcome. We created Andrew's Fund as a way to directly cover the cost of crisis counselling sessions with any qualified, private practitioner that could step in when needed, and to create more outreach opportunities to fight back against the stigma that prevents a lot of men from being able to speak up.
In that first year since beginning the program, we funded over 80 sessions for individuals that were struggling with suicide or had been directly affected by the suicide of a loved one. We have continued to pave the way for many more since then.
KMH Foundation was approached by a group of friends brought together by their loss.
Andrew Miedema was a well-loved and deeply respected member of our community that tragically lost his life to suicide. In his memory, his closest friends formed the Andrew Miedema Charity Foundation to create better opportunities for people to seek help when they need it; to prevent further loss.
We connected with them in trying to do something special and unique, something different from the usual donation to large charities where we couldn't see the outcome. We created Andrew's Fund as a way to directly cover the cost of crisis counselling sessions with any qualified, private practitioner that could step in when needed, and to create more outreach opportunities to fight back against the stigma that prevents a lot of men from being able to speak up.
In that first year since beginning the program, we funded over 80 sessions for individuals that were struggling with suicide or had been directly affected by the suicide of a loved one. We have continued to pave the way for many more since then.
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In 2021
Tragedy struck close to home with the sudden death from unintentional overdose of Dayna Elizabeth Karle, an incredible, funny, bright soul that shared history with some of our own people. We connected with her mother, Carolyn, in grief and in determination to stop letting our community step back and allow our friends, our children to fall through the cracks because of the gaps in services. For those in active recovery, which can be lifelong, there is not enough support. Getting access to effective, safe counselling services while in crisis continues to be uniquely challenging in our community. Our collective sense of regret over her loss became a renewed vigor to do more for people like Dayna and all those who loved her. Carolyn has since pioneered a movement to demand more detox beds for the Thunder Bay area, and formed the DEK Foundation to fight for enhanced aftercare services. Carolyn and Team DEK have been responsible for the formation of our second counselling program through KMHF: The Dayna Karle Memorial Campaign. 
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Dayna Karle, 2021
Carolyn and baby Dayna
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Kelly Mental Health Foundation is a community-based, nonprofit organization.
Our intention is to enrich the lives of those around us by improving our
social environment in the area of mental health.
Our goal is to support and maintain the wellness of our community,
which includes the individuals living within it, by providing:
counselling services ♥ mental health education & awareness ♥ community outreach ♥ mental health advocacy
Our intention is to enrich the lives of those around us by improving our
social environment in the area of mental health.
Our goal is to support and maintain the wellness of our community,
which includes the individuals living within it, by providing:
counselling services ♥ mental health education & awareness ♥ community outreach ♥ mental health advocacy