A note from David Braun, founder of BuddyHelp and Mind Well Foundation, celebrating our 1-year anniversary during Mental Health Awareness Month.
Summary of contents:
- Major change: COVID- 19 outbreak
- Where everything started
- The launch of Mind Well Foundation
- The motivation behind it
- Mission and initiatives
- What we built
- How we got to where we are today
- So… What’s next?
Major change: COVID- 19 outbreak
When the covid-19 pandemic hit in spring 2020, many of us were facing major changes in our life as we knew it. Entire industries were put on hold indefinitely, and whole sectors of the economy were fundamentally reshaped. Now, more than a year later, we reflect back on some of the things that we changed when faced with the pandemic. What were some of the things that you changed during this period? We want to hear from you about what you were doing to stay busy, what you changed about your life, and how that has shaped your path going forward.
Where everything started
As for myself, I was deeply moved by the collective pain and suffering throughout the world that the pandemic brought upon us. I was equally moved by the deep human compassion that was awakened as a result, and how millions of people came together to help. What I couldn't bear to see was so many people looking for something to do to help, but not knowing what or how.
The launch of Mind Well Foundation
In an attempt to be part of the solution to both ease people's suffering, and provide an outlet for people to put their newfound time towards, the Mind Well Foundation was launched in April 2020 at the height of the pandemic's first wave lockdown. I have been a mental health advocate for several years already, having gone on a world speaking tour back in 2017/2018 to deliver my keynote on "how to thrive in a world of digital overstimulation" all over Europe, and as far as Iran, and China.
The motivation behind it
My goal here was to raise awareness on how to live a more balanced and purposeful life while limiting the risk of burnout and depression. This dedication, along with several personal experiences including suffering from burnout myself and people in my close circles attempting or even committing suicide, lead to the creation of my mental health foundation.
Mission and initiatives
The Mind Well Foundation is a nonprofit organization with the mission of supporting and creating solutions that address the global mental health crisis. Under its umbrella, we have already launched two initiatives: BuddyHelp, a free volunteer-led emotional support platform, and The University of Compassion, an online training platform to provide people with the tools and knowledge needed to council and lead people out of a difficult headspace into a state of collected calm.
So what have we achieved over the past year and how far have we taken our mission?
What we built
Well, first of all, we are extremely excited to be turning 1 year old, and that during World Mental Health Awareness Month! In this past year, we have been able to provide support to more than eleven thousand people through BuddyHelp, have grown our team of volunteers to over 700 people, and grown our core team to 7. We have secured more than 2 dozen partnerships with some of the leading organizations in the world and have become a highly recommended service and a household name among therapists and other patient-related services.
How we got to where we are today
A strong and compassionate community
This starts with our team and extended team of volunteers who provide essential emotional support counseling services to our members. Our members for trusting in us and allowing us to help. The corporates and organizations who have partnered with us, providing operation-critical funding and in-kind services, and all of our donors. We are incredibly grateful for all the support we have received along the way, without which we would not be where we are today. Thank you for being a part of this journey. Thank you for making a difference in the world.
So… What’s next?
During the next few weeks, we will be publishing a series of articles on some of the most common mental health conditions, how to find the support that you're worthy of, and we will also be bringing in some experts in the field for interview and Q&A style articles. We have a lot in store for you, so be sure to subscribe to our blog updates below to stay in the loop.
Get to know us more!
If you would like to get involved in this initiative and be a part of history in the making, feel free to shoot us an email at contact@buddyhelp.org, or browse our website to discover all of the many ways you can join our BuddyHelp family and make a difference in the world.
