Stigma-Free Society
Founded in 2010, Stigma-Free Mental Health Society is dedicated to breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health through education, open conversation, and community-based support. Their work centres on creating spaces where people feel safe to talk, learn, and seek help—without judgment.
A key focus of Stigma-Free’s mission is supporting rural and agricultural communities, where isolation, long hours, and limited access to services can make reaching out for support especially difficult. In these communities, mental health challenges often go unseen and unspoken, despite the very real pressures many individuals face.
Through programs like Rural Minds Matter Peer Support Training and the Rural Minds Matter Toolkit, Stigma-Free equips rural residents with practical, accessible tools to support both their own mental well-being and the well-being of others in their communities. These resources empower people to recognize signs of distress, start meaningful conversations, and offer peer-based support where professional services may be harder to access.
This work is especially critical given the increased rates of stress, anxiety, and suicide among farmers and rural Canadians. By meeting people where they are and fostering stigma-free conversations around mental health, Stigma-Free Mental Health Society is creating real, lasting change in communities that are too often overlooked.
We are honoured to support Stigma-Free Mental Health Society as one of our 2025 grant recipients and to stand alongside an organization making mental health support more accessible, visible, and stigma-free—where it’s needed most.