"Do it for Daron"
Vision
Do it for Daron was founded after the tragic death of Daron Richardson, in November of 2010 at the age of 14. Daron died by suicide after suffering from mental health issues. Her parents created the do it for Daron initiative with the help of Daron's friends and classmates with the goal of creating awareness for youth mental health. We have partnered with Do it for Daron as it is a cause that we truly believe in with the increase of mental health issues amongst youth in Canada as a result of the pandemic. Our goal for this project is to increase awareness within our own individual communities to connect youth and create support networks through the foundation.
Assessment
Because D.I.F.D. is a charity created from a tragedy, it has been successful in its goals and values, through education, events and partnerships with institutions such as the Royal Mental Health Hospital. The main outcome of these initiatives both through D.I.F.D. and its partners has been empowering youth, and creating an open dialogue for mental health.
Goals & Objectives
It starts at the individual level with us and the people closest in our lives. Our vision for this project is to educate those around us to strengthen the connections and dialogue. Through our fundraising efforts, we hope to reach a wider audience who would have otherwise not heard about D.I.F.D. and the impact that it has had on youth. We would also like to destigmatize the prejudice people have about admitting mental health issues and asking for the help they need. We will reach these goals by going into our communities, going door-to-door with fundraisers such as bottle drives to engage with people that we otherwise may not have reached. A big part of our implementation for this is to have a conversation with everyone we interact with about these issues, as we believe that knowledge is power, as well as human connection.
