Rural Mental Health Receives Fifth Year of Grant Funds

The Rural Mental Health Project is a partnership between the Canadian Mental Health Association, the Centre for Suicide Prevention and rural communities throughout Alberta. The goal of the RMHP is to strengthen the mental well-being of rural communities across Alberta through grant funding opportunities identified by local action teams. 

The Town of Hinton and the Hinton Rural Mental Health (RMH) Action Team are excited to announce the recent grant funding approval totalling $20,980. This is the fifth year of grant funds for the RMH Action Team to carry out mental health initiatives in the community, including this year’s initiative called “Revitalizing Neighbour Connections Through Giving Project.”  

The approved grant funding has allowed the Action Team to distribute free “Neighbourhood Connection Kits”. This project focuses on the importance of fostering connections and reducing loneliness by encouraging neighbours to interact and build relationships. Stronger neighbourhood ties enhance a sense of belonging, improve personal safety, provide mental and emotional support, and help people thrive. 

Starting July 23, 2025, interested participants can get involved by picking up a Neighbourhood Connection Kit and purchasing items to gift a neighbour with the FREE #HintonFirst Bucks included in the kit. 

Neighbourhood Connection Kits will include: 

• A guide to creating neighbour connections
• $30 in #HintonFirst Bucks, which can be used locally to purchase wellness items that participants can then assemble to gift to a neighbour
• Resources and information on mental health

Neighbourhood Connection Kits can be picked up at the following locations: 

• Hinton Family & Community Support Services
• Hinton BRIDGES Society for Mental Wellness
• Hinton Friendship Centre
• Hinton Employment and Learning Place
• Hinton Municipal Library

Feeling connected is essential to community wellbeing, yet people are spending less time building face-to-face relationships, especially with diverse populations. In Hinton, shift work, long hours, and out-of-town jobs can make it challenging to connect with neighbours. Additionally, our community has grown more diverse, with over 200 foreign workers arriving through the Rural Renewal Stream and many displaced Jasper residents relocating to Hinton after last year’s wildfires. It is paramount that we welcome our new neighbours through connection. 

Contact Hinton RMH Lead Animator Brooke Alden at FCSS to find out more information about getting involved in your community’s mental wellness. Email: balden@hinton.ca | Phone: 780-817-4881.