Regina designer’s sweaters giving boost to youth mental health

A local Regina designer is raising money for youth counselling services, and she’s doing it in style with a cosy heart-themed sweater made specifically for a May fundraiser.

Amaranth Designs has two sweater designs and earrings currently available for purchase, with 100 per cent of proceeds going to Family Service Regina, a non-profit counselling centre in the city that provides youth programming.

Owner Rea Harbus said the idea for a heart sweater campaign began as an initiative to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Amaranth Designs, when the opening days of the pandemic had her restructure her initial idea of a charity runway show.

“With all our kids being sent home (at the time) and everything in turmoil, I thought, what better charity than children’s mental health,” said Harbus.

For her, the phrase “wearing your heart on your sleeve” seemed like an excellent place to start.

“The heart is just so important because it takes a lot of heart to deal with mental health,” Harbus said.

This is the third year that Harbus has launched a limited edition sweater to raise funds. Part of the concept was promoting a tangible item for customers to purchase and enjoy, as a way to get feet under the fundraiser. But really, the sweaters are actually more than just a product.

“It gets the conversation going, and every time you wear the sweater, it’s a reminder of what this is all about,” Harbus said.

And the idea certainly works, said Family Service Regina CEO Shellie Pociuk. Last year, while wearing her heart sweater, she had several people ask where she got it, which prompted a wonderfully organic conversation about mental health.

Donations are a pillar in the centre’s ability to deliver mental health aid, said Pociuk. Right now, funds are being used to facilitate a no-cost, on-demand counselling service called Thrive Rapid Counselling.

“Everything we can get in terms of support just helps us go that extra mile,” said Pociuk.

The service allows clients to reach out and book same-day counselling appointments, either in-person, virtually or over the phone, which Pociuk said is a deeply needed resource.

“A lot of times, you just have that window when somebody has made that decision to reach out and ask for help to respond. You hear stories of people that are waiting and waiting, and then we just lose track of them, and so that’s our goal — to be able to offer services immediately when people reach out.”

Pociuk said that the service has been a great addition to the centre, especially as demand has spiked through the pandemic. Youth mental health especially has been front-of-mind for centres like Family Service Regina.

A recent research study from the University of Saskatchewan found that nearly 40 per cent of children and youth in the province said their mental health worsened during the pandemic. One in four children said they needed mental health support, but only 13 per cent received it.

It’s a trend that Family Service Regina has experienced, and one that Harbus wanted to ensure was highlighted.

“We’ve definitely seen an increase in kids coming to us with high anxiety and high depression,” said Pociuk.

Mental Health Awareness Week concludes on May 8, but Harbus is offering her heart sweaters for purchase through her website throughout the entire month of May.

The hope is to raise another substantial donation for Family Service Regina, to top last year’s sale of 32 sweaters.

“We’re just trying to spread the love,” said Harbus.

lkurz@postmedia.com

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