BMO Announces $100,000 Donation to Naseeha Mental Health in Response to Tragic Event in London, ON

• Donation comes amid growing demand for Naseeha's mental health services tailored to Muslim communities

TORONTO, June 16, 2021 /CNW/ - BMO Financial Group today announced it will donate $100,000 to Naseeha, a mental health hotline to support mental health services for Muslim communities. The donation follows the deadly hit-and-run incident in London, Ontario on June 6 that claimed the lives of four family members.

Naseeha is a Mississauga-based registered charity that provides peer-to-peer support, web therapy sessions and mental health services to Muslims and non-Muslims. In the wake of the tragedy in London, Naseeha's mental health hotline is experiencing an unprecedented influx of calls and an urgent need for expansion.

BMO's support will enable Naseeha to hire two counsellors – increasing its permanent counsellor roster from six to eight – and help expand its volunteer capacity from 15 to 25. In addition, the donation will allow Naseeha to expand its hours of operation and support community members through calls and texts in a greater number of languages.

"In the aftermath of tragedy, there is a ripple effect that touches the lives of people across the world. Our community is deeply mourning and our counselors at Naseeha have been witness to the collective pain of our community not just within Canada, but globally," said Muhsin Kermalli, Interim Executive Director, Naseeha. "We carry a huge trust to shoulder the stories of those whose mental health is impacted by such tragedy, and we are deeply grateful to BMO for helping us in doing so. We are confident this funding will allow us to respond to the rising need of front-line mental health support through the helpline, text line, web therapy, and outreach initiatives."

"The ability for Naseeha to expand its team and services to provide support to Muslim Canadians who have been hit hardest by this tragedy is critical, with many in the community in urgent need of mental health support. All of us at BMO are inspired by the impact Naseeha is making with its work and we look forward to continue working together to grow the good in our communities," said Rick Jaques, Regional President, Greater Ontario, BMO Bank of Montreal.

Naseeha offers web therapy in English, French, Urdu, and Arabic. Although geared to Muslim communities, Naseeha offers services to all people, regardless of religion, race, and ethnicity, as well as age, sexual orientation, gender identity, family makeup, social status, income, ability, and physical and mental health.

To learn more about Naseeha, visit: https://naseeha.org.

About BMO Financial Group 
Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a highly diversified financial services provider - the 8th largest bank, by assets, in North America. With total assets of $950 billion as of April 30, 2021, and a team of diverse and highly engaged employees, BMO provides a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, BMO Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.

About Naseeha
Naseeha is a mental health hotline, and so much more. Naseeha answers calls noon to midnight seven days a week from around the world from Muslim and non-Muslims. Naseeha is a bridge for individuals who are going through life's challenges. Where hope is lost, Naseeha is found. The organization provides a safe zone for youth and individuals to talk to and get the help they need on topics such as loss, marriage and divorce, pornography, domestic issues, bullying, relationships, religion, drugs and alcohol, and more. Naseeha provides hundreds of workshops to youth across North America, web therapy sessions in English, French, Urdu and Arabic, and offers SMS mental health support every day.

SOURCE BMO Financial Group