Bell Let's Talk Community Fund invests in Québec mental health care

• Grants totaling $450,000 for 17 front line community groups across Québec
• Adds to more than $400,000 in community grants distributed in Québec in 2011
• More than $6 million in total already donated by Bell Let's Talk to Québec hospitals, research centres and community organizations

MONTREAL, Aug. 17, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell today announced that the annual $1 million Bell Let's Talk Community Fund is distributing $450,000 in grants to 17 mental health community groups across Québec in 2012. This builds on the more than $400,000 the fund distributed to Québec groups in 2011, the fund's first year.

"Bell is pleased to be supporting the tremendous work these organizations are doing in delivering front-line mental health care and support at the community level across Québec," said Martine Turcotte, Bell's Vice Chair, Québec. "Bell supports Québec mental health care at every level - with major hospitals, at Québec research centres, and at the local level where so much good work is done. We know these grants will truly make a difference for the 1 in 5 Québécois and Québécoise affected by mental health issues."

Launched in 2011, the Bell Let's Talk Community Fund encourages community organizations from coast to coast to coast to apply for grants to support local programs that aim to eliminate the stigma of mental health and improve access to care. The fund provides grants in every region of Canada to support select projects providing front-line support to those impacted by mental health issues in communities large and small.

"Mental health accounts for more than 15 per cent of the burden of disease yet receives only 6 per cent of health care funding," said Mary Deacon, Chair of the Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative. "By going directly to the grass roots where so much of the available care is being provided, we know we are maximizing the impact of every dollar we give."

Since launching Bell Let's Talk in late 2010, Bell has invested more than $6 million in more than 40 Québec mental health hospitals, research centres and community organizations. Recipients have included the Hôpital Louis-H. Lafontaine Foundation, the Fondation Hôpital Charles-LeMoyne, the Mental Illness Foundation, the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Fondation Cité de la Santé, the Portage Foundation, Fondation Robert-Giffard, and Fondation les Petits trésors of the Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies.

A complete list of both the 2012 and 2011 Bell Let's Talk Community Fund Québec recipients is attached. Online applications for the 2013 Fund will open early in the new year. For more information about the Bell Let's Talk Community Fund, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

Bell in Québec
Bell is committed to the Québec community, employing more people, spending more on Québec infrastructure and R&D, and contributing more to charities (led by the Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative) and community events than any other communications company. Bell employs more than 17,000 team members in Québec and invested over $900 million in Québec infrastructure and R&D in 2011 alone - including the rollout of the next-generation Bell Fibe network that is already ramping up competition and choice in TV and Internet services for consumers in Québec.

Bell offers Bell Mobility wireless, Bell TV, Bell Internet, Bell Home Phone and Bell Business Markets services across Canada, and is wholly owned by Montréal's BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). For more information, please visit Bell.ca.

About Bell Let's Talk
The Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative is a $50-million charitable program based on four action pillars: Anti-stigma, care and access, research, and workplace best practices.

Bell is honoured to be named the recipient of the 2012 Freeman Philanthropic Services Award for Outstanding Corporation for the Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative. The prestigious international award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) was presented to Bell in March in Vancouver.

2012 Bell Let's Talk Community Fund Québec Grant Recipients

AMI-Québec Agir contre la maladie mentale (Montréal)
Café Rendez-vous de la Maison Réalité (Gatineau)
Centre Accalmie (MRC d'Avignon, Pointe-à-la-Croix)
Centre de crise de Québec (Ville de Québec)
Centre d'hébergement alternatif de Sherbrooke (Sherbrooke)
L'Équipe Entreprise (Dorval)
Fondation Équilibre Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (Saguenay)
Fondation Le Grand Chemin (Montréal, Ville de Québec, Saint­Célestin)
Fondation Tel-Jeunes (Québec)
Groupe de ressources pour le trouble de panique (Saguenay, Jonquière)
Ligne d'intervention téléphonique en prévention du suicide de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue (Malartic)
Le Mûrier (Montréal)
Le Murmure, groupe d'entraide (Beauceville)
L'Oasis de Lotbinière (Saint-Flavien)
Parents et amis du bien-être mental du sud-ouest de Montréal (Verdun)
Réseau de Prévention Suicide des Bois-Francs (Plessisville)
La Rencontre, groupe d'entraide pour personnes atteintes de maladie mentale (Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce)

2011 Bell Let's Talk Community Fund Québec Grant Recipients

Anorexie et boulimie Québec (Québec)
Expression LaSalle, centre communautaire en santé mentale (Montréal)
La Croisée des sentiers (Asbestos)
La Fondation de l'Hôpital général juif (Montréal)
La Fondation Pierre-Janet (Gatineau)
La Fondation Robert-Giffard (Ville de Québec)
La Fondation Suicide Action Montréal (Montréal)
La Société québécoise de la schizophrénie (Montréal)
Le Centre de prévention du suicide de Québec (Québec)
Le Centre de santé et de services sociaux de la Vallée-de-l'Or (Abitibi-Témiscamingue)
Le Pavois de Ste-Foy (Ville de Québec)
Le Trait d'Union Montérégien (Saint-Hyacinthe)
Le Traversier, Centre de jour et d'entraide en santé mentale (Trois-Rivières)
Les Impatients (Montréal, Drummondville, Granby)
Revivre (Québec)

SOURCE: BELL CANADA

Media inquiries:
Jacqueline Michelis
Bell Media Relations
1 855 785-1427
[email protected]