About The Friendship Bench
What is The Friendship Bench?
Since 2015, The Friendship Bench (TFB) has implemented student mental health programs in secondary and post secondary schools across Canada. With more than 60 of our iconic yellow benches installed in seven Canadian provinces, our 24/7/365 program helps hundreds of thousands of students speak openly about their mental health.
Our goal is simple: to decrease the number of suicides and suicide attempts occurring among Canadian students between the ages of 15 and 24. The program is working – there has been an average 18% increase in students coming forward to talk about their mental health on campuses where The Friendship Bench is installed.
The program has three main objectives:
- Encouraging peer-to-peer conversations about mental health among students
- Educating students about the causes of mental illness, and how to build resiliency
- Connecting more students to on-campus and in-community mental health resources
Suicide has become the 2nd leading cause of death among Canadians aged 15-34. This doesn’t include students who have considered suicide or who have dropped out of school due to depression or other mental health-related issues.
The Friendship Bench seeks to counter and reduce these statistics by using the yellow bench as a visual reminder to sit, take a minute out of their day, and talk openly and honestly about mental health.
Can I trust TFB?
The Friendship Bench is a 100% volunteer-driven, registered not-for-profit organization that has partnered with dozens of student organizations and mental health professionals since its launch in 2015. Our program works with a school’s existing mental health teams, faculty, volunteers, students, and community partners to raise funds in order to implement our national health program.
The initiative has received widespread praise and media attention for the results we’re helping to achieve, and the difference we’re making in the lives of students and their families across Canada.
When we launched the bench at our first secondary school, the on-site social worker reported that one of the first students to reach out was a senior school sports hero who had been suffering silently for a number of years. After our bench was unveiled, he reached out to talk about his depression and how he felt it was now okay to talk about his mental health.
Each bench has a plaque that directs students to our campaign website, which provides links to mental health support services on and off-campus. This has resulted in an 18% increase in the number of students reaching out to on-campus support, as well as the number of unsolicited student posts on social media about the importance of mental health awareness.
With more than 60 benches installed in over 50 Canadian schools across 7 provinces, the Friendship Bench program is proving to be an important part of the conversation around student mental health.
Frequently Asked Questions
Need more information about The Friendship Bench? View the frequently asked questions page.
Sam Fiorella | Co-founder
Sam is a suicide survivor. In October 2014, his son Lucas took his own life after suffering in silence from depression. Sam is continuing Lucas’ legacy and helping to spread awareness and education around youth depression and mental health issues.
He’s a father and advocate.
Rob Clarke | Co-founder
Robert is a passionate advocate for mental health and, as a marketer, a proponent of using digital technologies to help raise awareness about the importance of mental health issues.
Danny Brown | Co-founder
Robert is a passionate advocate for mental health and, as a marketer, a proponent of using digital technologies to help raise awareness about the importance of mental health issues.
Partners
Meet the generous partners who are helping us meet our goal of removing the stigma around youth mental health.
Maglin
Maglin is a leading North American manufacturer of public site furniture. Through outstanding design and innovative use of recycled materials, we create high-quality solutions that enhance the aesthetics and functionality of all environments.
Nimble
Nimble automatically updates itself with relevant prospect and customer information from dozens of data sources. See details about where they work, where they went to school, where they’re from and how you’re connected.
New York New York Men’s Grooming Lounge
New York New York Men’s Grooming Lounge & Associates believe that true service comes first! We are the only true Full Service Exclusive Grooming Lounge for Men around, all of our associates are well Experienced & Licensed Professionals.
The Burlington Professional Firefighters Association, IAFF L1552
The Burlington Professional Firefighters Association, along with it’s Benevolent Society and Fund, have dedicated their fundraising efforts to ensure all secondary and post-secondary schools within their community participate in the #YellowIsForHello Mental Health Awareness effort by receiving one of our iconic yellow Friendship Benches.
Become a Partner
If you are interested in working together, send us an inquiry and we will get back to you as soon as we can!
Blog
4 Years and 50 Benches – The Past, Present, and Future for The Friendship Bench
In October 2014, I lost my son to suicide after a long and very secret battle with depression. So secret, in fact, that only he knew of his illness until the day of his death. Upon his passing, Lucas’s peers shared countless stories of him initiating conversations,...
Bereaved Parents: Living Life in Black and White
July is Bereaved Parents Month, which, speaking from experience, is something those who have lost a child wish to ignore. Counterintuitive, I know. The reality is that such campaigns tend to ignite physical and emotional reactions in bereaved parents that we would...
The Friendship Bench and World Suicide Prevention Day 2017
This year, World Suicide Prevention Day falls on Sunday, September 10. According to the WSPD website, more than 800,000 people die by suicide, and up to 25 times as many make a suicide attempt, each year. According to statistics provided by the Canadian Association...