Spirit of Hope Awards
Each year at A Mental Health Morning, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Foundation presents the Spirit of Hope Awards recognizing youth, individuals and groups/organizations in the Hamilton, Niagara, Haldimand, and Brant regions who have overcome mental health or addiction challenges, or made impactful contributions to these fields.
Congratulations to Our 2025 Award Winners:
The YMCA of Hamilton Burlington Brantford Men’s Residence Organization Category
The YMCA’s men’s residence plays a vital role in supporting mental health and promoting awareness around addiction. It’s more than just housing. This program acts as a comprehensive support ecosystem. With 174 beds, the residence serves approximately 220 individuals annually. Through local partnerships with clinical professionals, a comprehensive, coordinated team surrounds residents with all the supports they need to address the whole picture of their life and make strides towards recovery.
Marcie McIlveen Individual Category
Marcie is a Peer Support Coordinator at St. Joe’s. She spent more than a decade living unhoused in various cities across Canada. Eventually Marcie achieved stability with respect to her mental health and substance use and since then has dedicated her time, expertise and energy to helping others facing similar struggles. She’s become a leading advocate and expert in the care of people who use drugs and those who are homeless in our community and is recognized for this leadership both locally and nationally.
Farhana Chowdhury Youth Category
Farhana is a member of the Youth Council at St. Joe’s Youth Wellness Centre (YWC). In this role, Farhana uses her lived experience and personal knowledge of accessing mental health services to inform the work the YWC does and give back to youth who are going through their own mental health journey. As a Youth Council Member, Farhana has demonstrated initiative and leadership while ensuring to create space for other young people to share their perspectives.
Thank You to Our 2025 Sponsors
