A 2007 Commerce graduate is partnering with Anxiety Canada to create monthly town hall webinars and help Canadians cope with the stress caused by self-isolation and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Christine Chen was inspired to help others when she noticed her friends and colleagues stockpiling food and selling off investments.
“People who were always calm and rational started behaving irrationally,” says Ms. Chen. “I felt the anxiety level had skyrocketed because there was so much uncertainty around the world.”
Like many people across Canada, she was looking for a way to step up and help others during the pandemic. After seeing a newspaper article featuring the not-for-profit Anxiety Canada, she reached out to the organization and pitched the idea of webinars to help combat the long-term psychological implications caused by social isolation. She wanted a resource that was available to all Canadians to help people who can’t afford professional counselling.
While Ms. Chen doesn’t not have a background in mental health, her job as a vice president at Wells Fargo Canada gives her valuable business knowledge and connections. She is using those skills to find sponsorship and promotion so future town halls to reach bigger audiences to help more Canadians.
The first webinar on March 26, featuring a panel of leading anxiety experts, resulted in more than 18,000 people visiting Anxiety Canada’s Coping With COVID-19 website.
Ms. Chen jokes she believes in the Star Trek-inspired mantra of boldly going where you haven’t gone before, so her lack of mental health experience did not stop her. She wanted to make a difference because this project could help people as they continue to struggle with anxiety even after the outbreak is under control.
“Just because you haven’t done it before doesn’t mean you can’t do it,” Ms. Chen says. “As a proud Queen's (alumna), I have always been dedicated to volunteerism and service outside of my professional endeavors.”
The next Anxiety Canada town hall takes place at 4 pm (EDT) on Thursday, May 14, on Facebook and YouTube. Visit the Anxiety Canada website to learn more.
