In this month’s article, let’s take a greater look at – Who is Debb Pitel?  Why No One Stands Alone? What is the mission of this non-profit?

The mission of No One Stands Alone is simply this: Connecting community to care. It started with Debb’s journey and experience, which is outlined in her book, I’m Still Your Mom. In it,she speaks of her difficulties in navigating mental health resources for her son, Tyler, whom she desperately wanted to help.  At that time, her objective was to find those resources that would help her family. Although they were able to access some resources and get her son some help, ultimately, he died by suicide.  Debb has laid out her heart in that book, spoke of her son’s death and her own mental health crisis that followed.  But No One Stands Alone is not about suicide.

Debb’s passion for accessible mental health resources only grew after Tyler’s death. Experience shows that when people are suffering with their mental health, they tend to Google symptoms as opposed to looking up resources, which isn’t effective. When Debb has had the opportunity over the years to speak with mental health agencies, she often told them that there needed to be a community booklet conveniently available with first contact resources, so people could find the right help when they needed it, and find it the first time.  Despite her many requests to various agencies, none of them took on the task to create a community booklet of mental health resources.  Debb decided to step up and do it herself, and thus, No One Stands Alone was created.

The mission of No One Stands Alone is to provide mental health resource booklets in our communities at no cost to those who wish to take one.  The booklets are placed in public places so they are convenient, accessible and you never need an appointment to get one.  The resources listed inside are first contact resources for everyone; children, adults, the elderly, veterans, LGTBQ+, aboriginal and more.

 We endeavor to keep the listings current by reaching out to agencies several times a year to confirm their information.  Fundraising is continually ongoing to be able to keep booklets stocked in all communities in Lambton and Chatham-Kent.  This year, we became a non-profit, which is opening more grant opportunities to keep our work funded.

Furthermore, we greatly appreciate our donors and sponsors, without whom, these booklets would never have come into being.

It is our hope that this article explains more fully what we are all about, and we also hope that we can continue to count on the generous support of our friends, neighbours, town councils and corporate sponsors so that we can keep doing our part to help others and minimize the stigma concerning mental health.