“I am the third generation to be hospitalized in my family,” says Ralph Bryant. “It set me on a path to inquire into mental health outcomes. How we can shine a light so that more people can heal,” he says. 

Bryant, originally from New York, and now living in Wolseley, has launched an innovative project to help people connect in their neighbourhoods, find supports for mental health, and to lift people’s spirits. 

It starts with messages of care – either making one, or finding one.

Bryant’s Love Notes campaign launched at the Canadian Mental Heath Association (at the corner of Lenore St, and Portage Ave.) during Canadian Mental Health Week on May 7, but it is just the beginning of activities that will take place across the city, and province until October 10, World Mental Health Day. On that day, the Love Notes Campaign will kick into high gear.

Bryant calls it a “Love Bomb.”

Although awareness has grown substantially about mental health around the world since the effects of COVID, there is still a stigma that is associated with it. People can easily find a hospital, or a minor sports injury clinic. But when it comes to the earlier stages of a mental health issue, what options do you have? Therapists, and resource or community support programs are often hard to find, have a long waitlist, and website information is often out of date.

When looking into mental health outcomes, Bryant found some disturbing statistics. One was that Black men, in the US, are three times more likely to commit suicide than Black women. In Manitoba, Indigenous youth are four times more likely to commit suicide than other youth. Manitoba’s Advocate for Children and Youth has called it “an enduring youth suicide crisis,” with the highest ever number of suicides reported in 2023. 

One of the ways the Love Notes Campaign hopes to bring change, says Bryant, is to meet people where they are at. 

The Love Notes Campaign will bring the paper, and anyone who feels inspired can write and design messages that are meaningful to their own situation, or something that could be helpful to others. 

At the launch, Huruy Michael wrote a Maya Angelou poem on a poster sheet, saying that her poem “has everything people need.” Kayla Shafe told The Leaf that she wants to talk to people and make sure they “don’t feel alone.” In honour of her father, who committed suicide, Shafe tatooed herself with a semi-colon symbol meant to encourage people to “tell the rest of the story.  I’m all about advocating for mental health because it was my dad’s lack of services that made him isolated to then end his journey,” says Chafe.

Love Notes has partnered with the Canadian Mental Health Association, and Art City, and will hold events with the Sea Bears Basketball Team, and at Pride events. A goal is to hold an event in a bar in every neighbourhood, in churches who would like to participate, and at Stoney Mountain Prison.  

Bryant hopes to train 15 advocates in Mental Health First Aid and trauma-informed care every year. And with the outreach of the campaign, be able to provide neighbourhood specific, up to date, mental health services, programs and supports on each Love Note through a QR code that will take people straight to the information.

“In hearing about this, I was doing a little bit at research…This is exactly what the city needs.” said Deputy Mayor Markus Chambers, bringing greetings from the City. “When we all feel included we all feel like we belong, that raises our spirit.”

At a particularly tough time, Chambers reached out to friends and his support network to keep in touch with him to get through it. “These notes are a real check-in challenge,” said Chambers.

Eddy Ayoub, director of Art City programming that provides always free, all ages art projects (the whole family is invited, he emphasizes) said “we aren’t mental health professionals but we know art holds intrinsic value for people’s mental health whether you are making the art, or one of the people walking down the sidewalk who sees what we made. I love that this is very deliberate. This is a very important project we will be doing at our sites across the city.” 

Canadian Mental Health Association director Marion Cooper said “the check-in challenge I think is an invitation to actually stop and actually say, you know what? I’m having some struggles right now. Thank you for letting me know that you care…We really feel inspired (by the project,)” she said.

Bryant says that sometimes, “the right message, at the right time,” can save a life.

For more information, or to participate in or organize an event, go to lovenotesmb.com