Models of care need to go beyond physical care alone.

It’s crucial that everyone has equal access to not only physical care, but also mental, and spiritual care. Unfortunately holistic healthcare is challenging to access for many people, especially folks who are already marginalized. That’s why it’s crucial that healthcare practitioners be educated in culturally appropriate care, and that access to care — physical, mental, and spiritual — is expanded. That’s how we will create a thriving, healthy community.

Prioritizing Well-Being

To help people access the care they need. 

Be the change in fostering a community that prioritizes health and well-being for all by working through these simple steps. Take the actions, read the blogs, dig into the statistics, or attend a Vital Conversation event; each step you take will make a difference.

Amplify

Follow, engage with, and share the causes and organizations that you’re passionate about on social media. Help spread their message throughout your personal networks. 

Use Your Voice

Speak up when faced with opinions or structures that prevent people from accessing the care that they need.  Ask elected officials, or candidates how they’re increasing access to mental health care, or supporting the social determinants of health needs within marginalized groups. Ready to write to an elected official? You can reference this template to guide your communication. 

Show up

Find and attend local events, meetings, debates or marches  that allow you to show your support by standing alongside those impacted by the issues firsthand. Showing up in solidarity with those who have lived experience as an ally and a supporter can help advance real change. Make signs, tell friends, and show up.

Share Your Resources and Time

Reach out, connect and support local organizations that prioritize and advance a sense of well-being and health for all. Donations and volunteer time are needed to help make change. Click here to see our full guide of local organizations and find one that you’d like to support.

And stay in touch! Be the Change will be sharing additional, tangible actions that will make a difference in the lives of members of our community. Sign up for our special email list to be kept in the loop.

Know your Numbers

Over the past few years our community’s opioid crisis has worsened. 2021 saw 1,036 emergency room visits for opioid overdoses - a 42% increase from 2020 and a 90% increase from 2019 (Middlesex London Health Unit). Public Health Ontario estimates that there were 126 deaths in London Middlesex in 2021, up from 101 in 2020 (a 25% increase) and 60 in 2019 (a 110% increase).

Mental health has continued to be an issue throughout the pandemic. In the Middlesex London Health Unit Region, 48% of the population reported their mental health to be somewhat worse or much worse than before the pandemic began (Statistics Canada, 2020). In 2021 CMHA Thames Valley reported 55,411 crisis calls, up from 49,725 in 2020 — an 11% increase.

Want to dive deeper into the issue of well-being in London and Middlesex County?

Check out our London Vital Signs Data Hub for more data.

 We recognize that we have blindspots; if we’ve missed an important message or if you’re aware of a statistic that has changed, please contact us and let us know.

London Leaders

There is so much knowledge in our community. This is a city full of activists, movement leaders, changemakers and lived experience experts and there is so much more to learn from them. Many are sharing their perspective on what’s next and building on the call for each of us to Be the Change.

Explore the diverse perspectives that provoke new thinking:

You’ve Taken Action.
But Don’t Stop There.

Change happens when people come together. Encourage those around you to take action. To help, we’ve designed these downloadable graphics that you can share on your own social media.

Click on the image to download.