This season's perfect gift is just a click away with CAMH's Gifts of Light

TORONTO, Nov. 3, 2015 /CNW/ - This holiday, the perfect gift is just a click away with the CAMH Gifts of Light online store and catalogue. Gifts of Light offer a meaningful way to show you care by giving a gift from the heart that will have an immediate impact on someone with mental illness. 

To mark the launch of this year's Gifts of Light program, we've raised a 20-foot tree on the corner of Queen Street West and Ossington Avenue. Adorned with 4,000 purple lights, the tree symbolizes the generosity of donors who have supported CAMH patients. Last year, more than 2,700 patients received Gifts of Light. This year, we hope to increase that number and bring real hope to the one in five Canadians who will experience a mental illness or addiction in their lifetime.

The holidays can be a difficult time of year for patients and their families. Often overwhelmed with the challenges of mental illness or addiction and the stigma that still exists, many of those in our care are without the small comforts of home or visits from friends and family.

"Whether it's a comforting item like pajamas, or transportation to life-changing opportunities, such as a job interview or a new apartment, these gifts remind CAMH patients they are not alone over the holidays, and on their personal path to recovery," says Donna Slaight, CAMH Foundation Board member and passionate Gifts of Light supporter.

This year's Gifts of Light catalogue provides many tangible gifts and meaningful experiences to lift the spirits of our many courageous patients. "When I was living at the hospital, especially around the holidays, it was nice to receive the Gifts of Light presents," said John Howard Rennie. "It gave me a feeling of being cared for, because at that time I had just lost my family. By receiving the Gifts of Light, it gave my soul the inner feeling of faith and feeling of being wanted."

Purchasing Gifts of Light is easy. Visit www.giftsoflight.ca to choose from more than 26 meaningful and practical gifts that meet the unique needs of our patients and that will, in turn, delight everyone on your list. You'll receive a personalized card from CAMH that highlights for your family member or friend the impact of your Gifts of Light.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital and a world leading research centre in this field. CAMH combines clinical care, research, education, policy development and health promotion to help transform the lives of people affected by mental illness and addiction. CAMH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, home to the Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute and is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Centre.

For information about CAMH Foundation, please visit www.supportcamh.ca.  To learn more about or to purchase Gifts of Light, please visit www.giftsoflight.ca.

SOURCE CAMH Foundation

To arrange an interview about Gifts of Light, contact: Pamela Rice, Media Relations, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Foundation, [phone] ext. 30798, [email protected]