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b*ll let’s talk is coming up & I’d like to emphasize that it’s trash for a ton of google-able reasons, so if you feel the need to think/talk/mobilize about mental health this month, support any non-carceral fund/org. here's some resources & a thread - feel free to add! #HamOnt
1) @letstalkjails - a mutual aid org that has spoken publicly about the harm perpetrated by Bell’s prison phone contract. They are only $8,000 short of their current goal for the Prisoner Emergency Response Fund https://gofund.me/361b28aa .
2) @ProjectBarton - an abolition group seeking to reduce isolation among people who are incarcerated. They are just over $1000 short of their current goal for the COVID Phone Line for those in Barton Jail https://gofund.me/ae15c825
3) @DefundHPS & the newly established Hamilton Encampment Support Network (Toronto equivalent: @ESN_TO), which has led calls in #HamOnt to decriminalize poverty, houselessness, mental distress, & substance use & demanded free, permanent, & supportive housing [email protected]
4) @1492LBL - support their legal defense fund as Indigenous land defenders experience continued state violence - they are short of their current goal! https://gofund.me/7ad24c0a
5) @djnontario & @HCCI1's CareMongering program, which aims to support folks impacted by the pandemic ([email protected])
I could list so many more - including orgs like @theSPACEyouth, @speqtrumYHM, @keepingsix, @HAMSMArTeam etc. - that do amazing work with very little funding. Also, there are so many go fund me pages for folks who need immediate material support. Open your purse if you can!
Convos about mental health must go beyond capitalist, heavily sanitized concepts (e.g. “be kind,” “check in on each other,” etc.) as they individualize & pathologize social problems. It's a de-radicalized & de-politicized view on issues created by interlocking systems of violence
We can’t talk about mental health & self-care w/o talking about the systems in place that make it impossible to achieve a westernized illustration of “wellness.” B*ll let’s talk directly benefits from systems of violence that create conditions non-conducive to health or wellness.
so, in conclusion, pls have a critical thought this year ,, think before you engage ,, open your purse ,, anything other than b*ll let's talk. RANT OVER!
