TORONTO — Bell Let’s Talk announced today it is making a five-year, $1-million donation to Rise, a national organization dedicated to empowering people with mental health and addiction challenges by providing entrepreneurship training, mentorship and low-interest loans to help them launch new businesses.
“This is the largest corporate donation in Rise’s 11-year history, and I cannot overstate the impact it will have in Canadians’ lives,” said Rise CEO Lori Smith, in a press release. “Bell’s leadership in the mental health space is helping to combat stigma and grow access to care, and it’s with Bell’s loyal support that Rise can strengthen our mission to help individuals with mental health and addiction challenges become empowered through entrepreneurship.”
The gift from Bell Let’s Talk will enable Rise to reach even more Canadians with programs that help eliminate barriers to employment and builds on Bell’s earlier support for Rise programs, says the press release.
A portion of the donation will be invested in the Rise Loan Fund to help launch more than 300 new small businesses over the next five years and enhance the organization’s sustainable source of lending capital, says the release.
Rise and Bell Let’s Talk announced their enhanced partnership during the “Let’s #GetReal About Mental Health & Entrepreneurship Online” event for Rise clients to mark Mental Health Week. The event served as the official launch of Rise Winnipeg, which will provide Manitobans with access to the Rise Small Business Lending Program and other training workshops and programs in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Manitoba and Winnipeg. Rise’s expansion into Manitoba in partnership with CMHA has also been made possible through Bell’s new donation, says the release.
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