Moving Forward Family Services, MULTIPLE SITES, Surrey, BC (2026)

10/11/2026

Mental Illness Awareness Week reminds me of the importance of understanding mental health and supporting people experiencing difficult times. It encourages us to talk openly about mental health and treat everyone with kindness, patience, and respect.

During my practicum at Moving Forward Family Services, I understand the importance of creating a safe and welcoming environment where people feel comfortable sharing their concerns. This topic reminds me to practise active listening, empathy, and a non-judgmental approach when supporting individuals facing emotional or personal challenges.

I understand that everyone has different experiences, and we cannot always know what someone is going through. As a practicum student, I am developing my ability to listen carefully, respect people's feelings, and avoid making assumptions. I also recognize the importance of confidentiality and maintaining professional boundaries when supporting clients. This awareness week reminds me that mental health is just as important as physical
health. Everyone deserves support and should feel comfortable asking for help without fear of judgment.

Personally, this reflection encourages me to continue developing my communication and counselling skills. I want to become a compassionate professional who helps people feel heard, valued, and respected.

In conclusion, my practicum is helping me understand that small acts of kindness, empathy, and support can make a meaningful difference in someone's life.

Linet, MFFS Intern

10/10/2026

Mental Illness Awareness Week 5th-11th

Every year during the Mental Illness Awareness Week we get an opportunity to bring mental health out of the shadows and into everyday conversations.

The 2026 campaign by Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health emphasizes “Equal Health, Fair Funding, No Exceptions” which reminds us that mental illness deserves the same attention and access to care as physical health.

We are encouraged to look beyond the diagnosis and recognize the person behind the experience.

Mental illness can affect anyone regardless of age, background, education and yet stigma, discrimination and misunderstandings limit individuals to speak out openly or seeking help.

Why A Need to talk about Mental health

We can break the unnecessary stigma

You get to know that you are not alone

It opens opportunity to learn more about treatment options

Who to talk to?

A trusted family member, friend, a professional- counselor or therapist, and a doctor.

A Call to Action

Start a conversation, listen without judgement

Offer support such as hope, encourage one to seek further professional help

Learn and share- the more we talk about mental health, it becomes normal.

Florence, MFFS Intern

10/10/2026

World Mental Health Day is recognized every year on October 10 to bring awareness to the importance of mental health and well-being. It is a day to encourage honest conversations, challenge stigma, and remind people that they do not have to struggle alone.

Mental health is something that affects all of us. At different points in our lives, we may experience stress, anxiety, depression, grief, loneliness, or other challenges that can affect how we feel and cope with everyday life. Sometimes these struggles are easy to see, but often they are not.

As mental health advocates, it is important that we create spaces where people feel safe to speak openly about what they are experiencing without fear of judgment. Sometimes, support can begin with something as simple as asking, “How are you really doing?” and taking the time
to listen.

World Mental Health Day is also a reminder that everyone deserves access to support and that reaching out for help is not a weakness. It takes courage to acknowledge when we are struggling and to take that first step toward getting help.

Today, let’s check in with ourselves and with the people around us. Listen with compassion, speak without judgment, and remind someone that their mental health matters. A little understanding can go a long way.

Leanne, MFFS Intern

10/08/2026

Mental Illness Awareness Week is a yearly event designed to initiate conversations, break down stigmas and highlight the shared responsibility of emotional health. A week, unlike a day, allows the room to examine mental health from multiple perspectives — from psychological safety in the workplace and resilience in youth, to community-based care and the fight against social isolation.

Fundamentally, the week highlights that mental health is a fluid continuum we all experience, rather than just seeing it through the lens of acute clinical crisis. It gives meaningful time for people, schools and workplaces to assess their environments, adopt sustainable self-care practices and learn the practical skills needed to help friends or colleagues with distress.

The week encourages communities to break the silence through storytelling through lived experience and continued advocacy for accessible, culturally safe resources, to reach toward proactive empathy, policy reform, and lasting solidarity.

This year's theme, "Equal Health. Fair Funding. No Exceptions" is a reminder that mental health is health, and everyone deserves access to the supports they need.

This week, we encourage you to check in with yourself and those around you, listen without judgement, and help create communities where seeking mental health support is welcomed and supported.

10/01/2026

Resource sharing

09/27/2026

"Hi everyone. My name is Jason Davidson. I spent many years working in emergency services, where I wore a uniform and responded to people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. That experience taught me the importance of courage, teamwork, and being willing to run toward a crisis when others are running away.

But it also taught me something that took me much longer to understand: just because the emergency is over doesn’t mean the impact is.

Today, as a clinical counsellor, I have the privilege of sitting with people who carry experiences that aren’t always visible to the people around them. Many of those experiences don’t disappear simply because the crisis has passed. Sometimes they stay in our thoughts, our relationships, our bodies, and the way we see ourselves.

That is one of the reasons today matters so much to me.

When we talk about Veterans, we rightly talk about courage, sacrifice, resilience, and service. But sometimes, without intending to, we create an expectation that Veterans should always be strong and capable of handling whatever comes their way.

That expectation can make it incredibly difficult to ask for help.

So I want every Veteran to hear this clearly: asking for help does not make you weak. It does not diminish your service or erase your courage. It simply means that you are human.

Sometimes the strongest thing a person can do is acknowledge that they aren’t okay and allow someone else to stand beside them.

There is something especially meaningful about a walk like this because we are literally moving forward together.

The person beside you may be a Veteran whose story you know, or someone whose experiences you will never fully understand. They may look completely fine while carrying something incredibly heavy.

That is why community matters.

When you are serving, there is often a clear sense of purpose. There is a team, a structure, a mission, and a reason to keep moving forward. When the uniform comes off, that structure can change dramatically.

I also want to recognize the people who stand beside our Veterans every day.

The spouses and partners who sometimes carry the weight of a difficult transition themselves. The parents who worry. The children who may not understand why someone they love has changed. The friends and coworkers who notice when something isn’t right.

Supporting someone doesn’t always require having the perfect words. Sometimes it means listening without trying to fix everything. Sometimes it means making the phone call, sitting beside someone, or simply reminding them that they don’t have to face something alone.

And sometimes it means having the courage to say, “I’m here. Let’s figure this out together.”

I spent part of my life responding to emergencies. Today, I spend part of my life helping people make sense of what comes after them.

That has changed the way I think about service.

We can’t prevent every wound, and we can’t undo everything someone has experienced. But we can make sure that people don’t have to heal alone.

That is a responsibility we all share.

So as we walk today, let’s remember that this isn’t simply a physical journey. It is a statement about the kind of community we want to be.

A community that remembers.

A community that listens.

A community that makes asking for help acceptable.

And a community that understands that supporting Veterans doesn’t end when they leave the military."

https://canadianwalkforveterans.com/

09/26/2026

Thank you all for joining us today. We are grateful to our community members, volunteers, and everyone who came out to make this event possible. We are all driven by the shared purpose of supporting mental health awareness, strengthening community bonds, and spreading compassion and hope. Your presence is a testament to the care, support, and solidarity that define our community.

For those who don’t know me, my name is Janet Liz Skuce. I am a Veteran and proud to have served Canada for 22 years in the Canadian Armed Forces. I joined at 19, during the early years of women entering combat arms. I began as a gunner and later became an Artillery Officer, including a deployment to the Balkans.

I am also a survivor of military sexual trauma. This experience is part of my service story and is important when discussing the invisible wounds Veterans carry. Pride in service and pain from service can coexist, and both deserve space, acknowledgment, and respect.

I am currently completing my Master of Social Work practicum with Moving Forward Family Services and am honoured to be part of this community. This event resonates with me because it unites my military service, the visible and invisible wounds many Veterans and I carry, and my commitment to creating trauma-informed, compassionate spaces where Veterans and survivors are seen, heard, and supported.

To our Veterans and First Responders, thank you for your service, your devotion to our country, and your dedication to serving our communities.

To the families and loved ones who support you, thank you for your strength, patience, and care through the demands of service and beyond. Your contributions and sacrifices deserve recognition, too.

Leaving the military does not mean leaving the experience behind. We carry the good, the challenges, the friendships, the losses, and sometimes the visible and invisible injuries with us.

Like many Veterans, I have learned that transition is more than a change in employment. It can mean losing identity, purpose, routine, community, and belonging—all at once.

In my own transition from the Canadian Armed Forces, I struggled with isolation and finding where I belonged outside military life. Support and community connection were pivotal to my transition. Those connections helped me feel less alone and rebuild a sense of belonging and purpose.

Not wanting other Veterans to walk that journey alone is what inspired me to become a social worker after my service. My own experiences continue to shape why I do this work: I want others to feel heard, supported, and connected to a community where they belong.

That is why connection matters to me personally—and why the Canadian Walk for Veterans matters.

This Walk began in South Surrey/White Rock in 2018 and has become a national movement. Today, September 26, 2026, we gather here at Holland Park in Surrey as part of that community.

The Walk unites Veterans, First Responders, families, supporters, and communities to recognize service, understand the challenges Veterans and First Responders face, and remind everyone they are not alone. Today’s donations support True Patriot Love.

This year’s theme reflects that message:
“Stronger Together — No One Heals Alone.”

Statistics highlight why this matters.

Veterans Affairs Canada research found that 39% of Veterans reported difficulty adjusting to life after service.
The 2022 Canadian Veteran Health Survey found that 44% of Veterans live with chronic pain, and about 4 in 10 do not feel a strong sense of community belonging.
Most concerning, one in five Veterans surveyed reported experiencing thoughts of su***de at some point in their lives.

These numbers represent real people—our friends, neighbours, family members, and people walking beside us today. The struggles with transition and belonging resonate with my own experience.

Veterans may be facing PTSD, depression, anxiety, moral injury, or chronic pain, often with overlapping impacts. Financial or housing challenges, along with the loss of identity and purpose during transition, can make finding a way forward even harder.

And that brings us back to connection.

Isolation can leave us feeling alone.

Community reminds us that we belong.

Support often begins with simple actions: walking beside someone, starting a conversation, listening without judgment, and letting others know:
I see you. You matter. You belong here.

This focus on connection is central to Moving Forward Family Services, where accessible, low-barrier mental health services help reduce barriers to care and strengthen community ties. Contributing to this work is meaningful to me because I know how much support and belonging can matter.

As we walk today, I encourage you to connect with someone. Talk to a Veteran or a First Responder, meet a family member, share a story, and take time to listen.

Today, we are doing more than covering distance. We are walking together, building connection, strengthening community, and reminding each other that no one has to walk alone.

09/16/2026

Our community continues to grow ... consisting of counsellors, social workers, doctors, teachers and other helping professionals who want to support those who fall through the rather massive gaps within our current mental health care system

09/15/2026

The Mental Health Benefits of Walking Outdoors

Walking outside is one simple way to take care of both our mental and physical health. Sometimes when we are stressed, worried, or having a difficult day, we may feel like staying inside. However, getting outside and taking a walk can help us feel a little better and give our mind a break.

Walking does not have to be difficult or require a lot of time. Even a short walk around the neighbourhood can give us an opportunity to breathe fresh air, enjoy the surroundings, and take our attention away from daily stress. Being outside can also help us feel more connected to nature and more present in the moment.

Walking with another person can be helpful too. Having a conversation while walking can reduce feelings of loneliness and give us someone to talk to. For people who may be struggling with their mental health, small activities like walking can be a positive step toward building a healthier routine.

Take one step outside and see how it feels ….

Cissy, MFFS Intern

Moving Forward Family Services

10/11/2026

10/10/2026

10/10/2026

10/08/2026

10/01/2026

09/27/2026

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