CMHA NS celebrates the power of community mental health with Champions for Change panel

Apr 21, 2023

From May 1 – 7 CMHA’s across Canada recognize Mental Health Week, a social change campaign to educate Canadians and shift beliefs and perceptions about mental health and mental illness.

The theme this is year is My Story.

In recognition of this theme, the Canadian Mental Health Association Nova Scotia Division is bringing together four mental health champions who are using their voices in unique and innovative ways to create positive social change for a panel discussion called Champions for Change.

From podcasts to a community oven, these champions are using their voices in unique and innovative ways to create positive social change and help more Nova Scotians be well and stay well.

Our panelists include:

• Junior Moaku, Founder, Save Me Save We
• Sam Madore, Podcast Host, Let Me Overthink About it
• Duncan Ebata, Executive Director, Front Street Community Oven
• Robyn Badger, Filmmaker, Owner, Creative Badger Studio

The panel will be moderated by Karn Nichols, Executive Director, Canadian Mental Health Association NS Division.

DETAILS:

• DATE|TIME: Thursday, May 4 at 6:00 p.m.
• WHERE: Zoom
• REGISTER

About Mental Health Week 2023

Mental Health Week 2023 and MY STORY will shine a spotlight on the voices, places and spaces that celebrate and demystify the role that community plays in supporting and promoting mental health.

Our stories make us human. They’re how we pass down information and connect with one another.
While we don’t all share the same experiences, we do all share a similar array of emotions, fears and hopes.

Sharing stories and experiences with each other, especially of difficult times and challenges, can benefit a person’s mental health and help others feel like they are not alone. For those struggling with mental health challenges, hearing others’ brave stories can offer a sense of comfort and solidarity that helps to reduce feelings of isolation.

KEEP READING to learn more and get involved.

Meet our Panelists

Junior Moaku (He/Him/ill) | Founder, Save Me Save We

Meet Junior Moaku, a passionate mental health advocate and founder of social enterprise Save Me Save We.

As an Acadia University student-athlete, Junior recognized the need for increased mental health awareness and conversation on campus.

He dedicated his final basketball season to this cause, which led him to create Save Me Save We, a clothing brand that promotes mental health literacy and awareness.

Today, Junior offers a variety of wellness services to high schools, universities, workplaces, and sports organizations.

When he’s not working, you can find Junior playing tennis, reading books, or watching movies.

He’s also an actor, having appeared in shows such as Diggstown, Broke and Famous, and These Woods are Haunted.

Connect with Junior | Website: https://savemesavewe.com

Sam Madore (She/Her/Elle) | Podcast Host, ‘Let Me Overthink About it’

Sam Madore is an entrepreneur, speaker and mental health advocate who wears many hats.

She is a marketing and event professional who inspires her clients to find creative ways to promote their businesses, organizations, and events through social and traditional media.

Sam is also a published author – with three children’s books that address mental health topics such as bullying, anxiety and grief. Sam’s latest release, Bert’s Tool Box: A Book About Anxiety is available on her website.

She is also the host of the Let Me Overthink About It Podcast, where she and her guests explore topics that occupy their anxious minds. A connector of people, Sam thrives on collaboration and prides herself on being real.

She inspires and challenges others to rise to the occasion and works hard to make her community a more cohesive place.

Sam is currently working in Strategic Marketing and Communications with the United Way of Colchester.

Connect with Sam | Website: https://www.thesammadore.ca/

Duncan Ebata (He/Him/ill) | Executive Director, Front Street Community Oven

Duncan is a social innovator, facilitator, entrepreneur and connection cook aiming to create spaces where we can slow down, reflect, and connect, bringing our full selves, in the multiplicity of our identities.

Duncan serves as the Executive Director of the Front Street Community Oven, where he uses the magic of food, fire and story to create belonging for all. The community oven programs provide space for 4200+ people to cook and eat together in 2022. Duncan also facilitates cooking groups that provide nourishing space for men to practice mental wellness.

His work is informed by a deep interest in living systems designed for complexity, trauma-informed practice, and social determinants of health. His education includes a BBA, as well as training in facilitation approaches such as Art of Hosting, Narrative Re-Authoring, and many others in the 12+ years facilitating change in Atlantic Canada.

When he’s not hosting gatherings or co-cooking in community, you can find Duncan in and around Wolfville, Mi’kma’ki/Nova Scotia, cycling with friends, gardening with his partner, or playing with his nieces; and of course, he loves to cook and share great food, too.

Connect with Duncan | Website: https://frontstreetoven.ca/

Robyn Badger (She/Her/Elle) | Filmmaker, Owner, Creative Badger Studio

Robyn Badger is an award winning filmmaker and mental health advocate. She first gained attention twenty years ago when she was featured in a CBC documentary about her personal journey living with mental illness.

After moving to Nova Scotia, she founded Creative Badger Studio, a small production company that specializes in leading workshops and directing video projects with communities that deal with marginalization and mental health.

One of Robyn’s most recent projects is the short documentary #kreyzee, which she created in collaboration with fellow filmmaker and mental health advocate Dan Smeby. The film interviews eleven personalities in and around the mental dis/abilities community, asking them what the term “crazy” means to them.

Robyn’s commitment to mental health advocacy extends beyond her creative work. She has worked with the CMHA Halifax-Dartmouth Branch on various contracts and now serves as the Social Clubs Program Co-Lead on a full-time basis. Her life experiences, multiple skills, and compassion for people make her a valuable member of the team.

Outside of her work, Robyn is also an avid painter and regularly contributes to the Mosaic for Mental Health fundraising annual auction. Her passion for creativity, storytelling, and mental health advocacy has made her an inspiration to many.

Connect with Robyn | Website: www.kreyzee.com

Meet the Moderator: Karn Nichols (She/Her/Elle) | Executive Director, CMHA NS

Karn Nichols joined the Canadian Mental Health Association Nova Scotia Division (CMHA NS) as Executive Director in July of 2021.

Along with a deep compassion for those facing mental health and addiction issues, she brings with her over 25 years of leadership experience in both the for profit and social impact sectors.

Prior to joining CMHA NS, Karn served as Board Chair for the MacPhee Centre for Creative Learning; Manager, Career of Services and Graduate Programs for the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University; and VP People Development and Branch Operations for Maritime Travel.

Connect with Karn | Website: https://novascotia.cmha.ca