Fast facts | The Canadian Mental Health Association breaks it down

Mental health and mental illness: what is the difference?

• Illness and health are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing.
• “Mental health” is a concept similar to “physical health”: it refers to a state of well-being. It includes our emotions, feelings of connection to others, our thoughts and feelings, and being able to manage life’s highs and lows.
• The presence or absence of a mental illness is not a predictor of being healthy mentally; someone without a mental illness could have poor mental health, just as a person with a mental illness could have excellent mental health.

Read more on the CMHA website!

What does this have to do with me?

It has really only been in my lifetime that we have started talking openly about this aspect of our wellbeing. If you are a little older, you may well remember a time when feelings simply were not discussed. Maintaining composure and bottling things up were signs of strength. We have moved beyond that, now. There is a growing permission to name what is true for all of us: we are resilient; we are vulnerable.

Our emotional and processing health needs the same attention we might give a tummy ache, a broken leg, or a migraine. Minding our emotions and overall wellbeing is as important as taking care of our cardiovascular system.

In wobbly times like these, turning attention inward is important. We are learning to take care of our self — maybe with some of the same compassion we are quick to offer each other!

How can I help my loved ones?

And that compassion that you so readily turn toward your friends and family is important. Do you need to tag in some extra support? Here are a few of the charities that we work alongside through vehicle donation:

Your local chapter of the CMHA

Breaking Free Foundation

Crisis Intervention & Suicide Prevention Centre of BC

Horizons For Youth

Kids Help Phone

Mental Health Foundation

Sunshine Therapy Dogs

Umbrella Society for Addictions & Mental Health

Westman Mental Wellness & Suicide Prevention

Your local Distress Centre

How you can help your mental health charity today

Perhaps you would like to give the cause you love a little extra back up? The charities named above are just a few — your car, you choice! You can gift your vehicle to ANY Canadian charity. Aid the work of the cause you love by donating your car, truck, van, SUV, or motorcycle. Re-sold or recycled, it will bring a valuable donation. The tow is always free. Moreover, you will receive a tax receipt from your charity, too!

Not quite ready to donate? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! There you will get an overall feel for how we care for each other and our charities. This is a caring community, here to serve you.

The post Mental Health in Canada appeared first on Donate A Car.

Mental Health Week…and beyond

Donate a Car Canada is so very proud to work alongside dozens of mental health charities across the country! Thousands of donation dollars are raised for wellbeing every year. And we see those dollars being put to exceptional use in providing advocacy, programming, and compassionate support in communities just like yours. Day after day, month after month, year upon year. This is definitely more than a one week gig for your local, regional, and country-wide wellbeing charities!

Fast facts | The CMHA breaks it down

Mental health and illness: what is the difference?

• Illness and health are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing.
• “Mental health” is a concept similar to “physical health”: it refers to a state of well-being. It includes our emotions, feelings of connection to others, our thoughts and feelings, and being able to manage life’s highs and lows.
• The presence or absence of a mental illness is not a predictor of being healthy mentally; someone without a mental illness could have poor mental health, just as a person with a mental illness could have excellent mental health.

Read more on the CMHA website!

What does this have to do with me?

It has really only been in my lifetime that we have started talking openly about this aspect of our wellbeing. If you are a little older, you may well remember a time when feelings simply were not discussed. Maintaining composure and bottling things up were signs of strength. We have moved beyond that, now. There is a growing permission to name what is true for all of us: we are resilient; we are vulnerable.

MHW goes a long way to expanding this open understanding.

Our emotional and processing health needs the same attention we might give a tummy ache, a broken leg, or a migraine. Minding our emotions and overall wellbeing is as important as taking care of our cardiovascular system.

In wobbly times like these, turning attention inward is important. We are learning to take care of our self — maybe with some of the same compassion we are quick to offer each other!

Check your local library, newspaper, and community services pages. There are sure to be many mental health week events happening near you.

MHW 2025 Theme

This year’s theme for MHW is “Unmasking Mental Health.” The CMHA describes it this way, “

Living with a mental health or substance use challenge is hard enough; masking can make it even harder. Living with mental health challenges often forces people to hide behind a “mask” to protect themselves from judgment and discrimination. But the heavier the stigma, the heavier the mask becomes, and the more isolated we feel.

This May 5-11, we’re encouraging people across Canada to look beyond the surface and see the whole person. By embracing honesty and vulnerability, we open the door to deeper connections and the mental health benefits that come with it. In doing so, we can create a ripple effect of courage and understanding across the country.”

Taking the week to attend your own wellbeing

Sometimes when we talk about this aspect of our wellness we suggest that there are “pillars of wellbeing.” If we imagine our lives as a building or a structure, we might imagine that it is held up by pillars like physical, emotional, and mental health. We could add financial, spiritual, relational wellbeing to those pillars, too. In fact, add as many as you like! The idea is that we are complex and interconnected creatures. We are more than one thing. Mental Health Week can be a really good time to take stock: how are you doing right now? What is it like to be you?

Explore your community and get connected with the resources, creative supports, and life-enhancing events that may be available to you in taking care of You!

The post Mental Health Week appeared first on Donate A Car.

Bell Let’s Talk | Changing how we talk about health

Let’s create meaningful change.

This year’s Bell Let’s Talk Day campaign highlights ways we can all create meaningful change and take action by doing one or more of the following:

• Choose a mental health organization to learn about or support
• Help a friend struggling with their mental health by learning how to support them
• Ask about how your school, workplace or community is creating change for mental health
• Nurture your own well-being by practicing and learning mental health strategies
• Get involved in a mental health initiative or organize an event to support mental health
• Engage in conversations about mental health to fight stigma

What does this have to do with me?

It has really only been in my lifetime that we have started talking openly about this aspect of our wellbeing. If you are a little older, you may well remember a time when feelings simply were not discussed. Maintaining composure and bottling things up were signs of strength. We have moved beyond that, now. There is a growing permission to name what is true for all of us: we are resilient; we are vulnerable.

Our emotional and processing health needs the same attention we might give a tummy ache, a broken leg, or a migraine. Minding our emotions and overall wellbeing is as important as taking care of our cardiovascular system.

In wobbly times like these, turning attention inward is important. We are learning to take care of our self — maybe with some of the same compassion we are quick to offer each other!

How can I help my loved ones?

And that compassion that you so readily turn toward your friends and family is important. Do you need to tag in some extra support? Here are a few of the charities that we work alongside through vehicle donation:

Your local chapter of the CMHA

Breaking Free Foundation

Crisis Intervention & Suicide Prevention Centre of BC

Horizons For Youth

Kids Help Phone

Mental Health Foundation

Sunshine Therapy Dogs

Umbrella Society for Addictions & Mental Health

Westman Mental Wellness & Suicide Prevention

Your local Distress Centre

How you can help your mental health charity today

Perhaps you would like to give the cause you love a little extra back up? The charities named above are just a few — your car, you choice! You can gift your vehicle to ANY Canadian charity. Aid the work of the cause you love by donating your car, truck, van, SUV, or motorcycle. Re-sold or recycled, it will bring a valuable donation. The tow is always free. Moreover, you will receive a tax receipt from your charity, too!

What does this have to do with me?

It has really only been in my lifetime that we have started talking openly about this aspect of our wellbeing. If you are a little older, you may well remember a time when feelings simply were not discussed. Maintaining composure and bottling things up were signs of strength. We have moved beyond that, now. There is a growing permission to name what is true for all of us: we are resilient; we are vulnerable.

Our emotional and processing health needs the same attention we might give a tummy ache, a broken leg, or a migraine. Minding our emotions and overall wellbeing is as important as taking care of our cardiovascular system.

In wobbly times like these, turning attention inward is important. We are learning to take care of our self — maybe with some of the same compassion we are quick to offer each other!

How can I help my loved ones?

And that compassion that you so readily turn toward your friends and family is important. Do you need to tag in some extra support? Here are a few of the charities that we work alongside through vehicle donation:

Your local chapter of the CMHA

Breaking Free Foundation

Crisis Intervention & Suicide Prevention Centre of BC

Horizons For Youth

Kids Help Phone

Mental Health Foundation

Sunshine Therapy Dogs

Umbrella Society for Addictions & Mental Health

Westman Mental Wellness & Suicide Prevention

Your local Distress Centre

How you can help your mental health charity today

Perhaps you would like to give the cause you love a little extra back up? The charities named above are just a few — your car, you choice! You can gift your vehicle to ANY Canadian charity. Aid the work of the cause you love by donating your car, truck, van, SUV, or motorcycle. Re-sold or recycled, it will bring a valuable donation. The tow is always free. Moreover, you will receive a tax receipt from your charity, too!

The post Bell Let’s Talk Day appeared first on Donate A Car.

You won’t believe how many happy minivan donors we’ve served in just one month!

Dusty the Dodge Caravan is grand indeed

We love processing minivans for your charity’s vehicle donation program! Here’s what one Grand Caravan donor had to say,

“Our 1997 Dodge Caravan was just picked up by Steven, a tow truck operator
working for the Armstrong agent. The removal went very smoothly.

This whole process has gone smoothly from the beginning. All of you at
Donate A Car Canada have been friendly and a pleasure to deal with. The way
your email instructions are designed are clear and easy to follow.

Thank you so very much for your attention to detail and email follow ups.
We name all the vehicles we’ve ever owned and “Dusty” has carried loads of
Girl Guides on camping trips over the years. It’s been a bit emotional
today saying goodbye to this old safe transporter friend. Thank you for
making it easier for me.” ~ D & K. K. ~

Minivan donation helps Transforming Faces

Dusty’s donors’ charity of choice was Transforming Faces. TF champions kiddos around the world. They believe, “Children born with cleft lip and palate deserve to be supported every step of the way. Comprehensive cleft care makes that possible.”

So many more minivans, so many more charities!

Dusty and his legacy of giving is storied. We share in the gratitude and affection donors have for their long-serving cars, trucks, and vans. These minivans are much more than metal and rubber. They can feel like members of the family!

Many times our donors keep their donation stories close. We aren’t privvy to the deeply personal reasons a charity has been chosen. The reasons for donating are as varied as the donors themselves! So are the charities.

Check out our Dodge Caravan donations from just this past month. Donors gave their 1992’s and their 2002’s…and many more! Below is a quick list to give you an idea of how your charity of choice might be helped. You can find detailed charity mission statements and locations on our charities page if you need a hand making your own choice.

Alberta Cancer Foundation: $120.00 (This one was a remote area Alberta pick-up.)

Canadian Cancer Society received three gifts for $250.00, $3791.25, and $500.00.

Canadian Mental Health Association Windsor-Essex County: $500.00

Covenant House Vancouver was gifted two Caravans totaling $300.00 and $3140.25!

Diabetes Canada received a scrap-ready donation in BC.

Health Sciences Centre Foundation: $250.00

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada: $300.00

Make-A-Wish Canada: $450.00

People Ensuring Animal Care Exists (P.E.A.C.E) received a scrap-ready donation.

Peterborough Humane Society: $500.00

Pregnancy Care Centre: $310.00

SPCA Newfoundland & Labrador – St. John’s Branch: $100.00

Company minivans help 5 more charities

Canadian companies are generous in their fleet donations. Our Dodge Caravan donors aided these five charities with donations adding up to over $2000.00 on scrap-ready company vans!

Heart and Stroke Foundation

Kidney Cancer Canada

Kids with Cancer Society of Northern Alberta

Rotary Flames House (Alberta Children’s Hospital)

Sudbury Manitoulin Children’s Foundation

Ready to roll with your own donation?

You’ll see from our social media and blog posts that your charity may have a donation program supported by us here at Donate a Car Canada. Donate with very high expectations! You will experience excellent donor care. We will seek the highest dollar return for the charity of choice. Furthermore, your charity does not pay for this service in any way.

We’re just a click or a call (1-877-250-4904) away!

The post Dodge Caravan Donors Care appeared first on Donate A Car.