Kids Help Phone and the Desjardins Foundation have joined forces to support our youth

MONTREAL, Jan. 31, 2017 /CNW/ - Kids Help Phone, the only national helpline for young people, is pleased to announce it can count on the continued support of the Desjardins Foundation. Through the Foundation's gift of $30,000, the charitable organization will expand its Live Chat counselling service, thereby increasing its support for the improved mental health and well-being of even more young people living in Quebec and Ontario.  

"Our statistics show that through online chatting, we are able to reach kids who would not have used a helpline like ours—the chat service provides them with the intimacy, anonymity and security they're looking for," explains Marie-Claude Landry, Interim Regional Director for Kids Help Phone. "This kind of gift is exciting and uplifting because it means that kids will be able to get help when they need it most and in a way that works for them," she adds. 

"Youth are at the heart of the Desjardins Foundation's priorities. We're convinced that by partnering with Kids Help Phone, an organization that provides innovative services, we'll be able to make a bigger difference for the many kids and their families who find themselves in need," says Diane Derome, Executive Director of the Desjardins Foundation. 

For more than 25 years, hundreds of kids have been reaching out to Kids Help Phone every day for help. In addition to its helpline and online resources for youth, the organization offers real-time chat services with a professional counsellor 5 evenings a week. Thanks to the Desjardins Foundation's commitment, Kids Help Phone's chat service will become more accessible and will boost the number of chat sessions with youth throughout Quebec and Ontario.

About Kids Help Phone

Kids Help Phone offers consultation and referral services in both official languages and is recognized as the only helpline available to kids all across Canada. Since 1989, this charitable organization has served as a lifeline, providing kids with confidential and anonymous support services. Kids Help Phone continually works to meet the needs of young people and improve their mental health. The organization relies on individuals, foundations, businesses and members of the community for a large portion of its revenue.

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About the Desjardins Foundation

Founded in 1970, the Desjardins Foundation is a charitable organization that contributes to young people's academic success by awarding prizes and scholarships and making donations, and through its involvement with partner organizations. In 2016, the Foundation gave back nearly $2 million in Quebec and Ontario. As a component of Desjardins Group, Canada's leading cooperative financial group, the Desjardins Foundation also supports various projects promoting cooperation, democracy and people's involvement in their community.

SOURCE Kids Help Phone

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For further information: Contact person for the media: Kids Help Phone, [e-mail] or 514-217-4262

Related Links

http://www.kidshelpphone.ca/