Prospera Credit Union has extended their support of mental wellness at Archway Community Services with a third $25,000 grant in three years. The funding will enable Mental Health First Aid training for staff and additional counselling hours for clients. Prospera first became a mental wellness partner at Archway in 2019 and have since worked with the agency to identify where they can help fill in gaps in services.  

“The need for counselling has never been this high and Prospera’s support will help us address waitlists for services,” said Shairose Jinnah, the Director of Counselling, Child, Youth and Family Services at Archway. “Having their consistent support over the years has made such a difference in what we can provide in our mental wellness programs.” 

The increase in counselling hours will be focused on supporting women who have experience domestic violence and youth and their caregivers.  

Archway offers parenting groups which equips caregivers in helping their children. They are popular classes but some found that once the group sessions ended, they had trouble implementing the strategies on their own. Now staff can offer subsequent individual counselling for caregivers or family units to help support sustained changes.   

Part of the funds will support the training of staff in Mental Health First Aid who will then be able to train other staff.  

“It’s important for staff to feel competent in helping their clients through mental health challenges even if it’s not part of their official program mandate,” said Jinnah.  

“At Prospera, we believe in building vibrant, healthy communities. This includes providing access to the necessary services and resources to help those most in need across our local communities. The last few years have been extremely difficult for many people, and we are grateful to partner with Archway and support their valuable mental wellness programs.”  – Niki Jelstad, Director, Marketing and Community Engagement.  

In addition to being a Mental Wellness Partner, Prospera has been a long-time supporter of Archway in various ways over the last 30 years and this past December marked their 10th annual Youth Angel Tree drive to collect Christmas gifts for teenagers in low-income households. 

To learn more about the counselling and mental wellness programs at Archway please visit Archway.ca/Counselling. Donations to support mental health initiatives can be made at Archway.ca/donate. 

About Prospera Credit Union 

Local banking means investing in Local Good. Built on over 75 years as a BC credit union, Prospera Credit Union is a community-based, purpose-driven organization that offers a full range of financial products and services. Prospera is British Columbia’s fourth-largest credit union, with $9 billion in assets and 120,000 members. With 26 branches, Prospera is proud to serve communities from Vancouver, through the Fraser Valley, and to the Okanagan. It’s our vision to help build vibrant healthy communities, thriving local enterprises and financially empowered people. To learn more about Prospera Credit Union, visit prospera.ca.