Share Your Story
We encourage people living with mental illness, or relatives of someone experiencing mental illness to share their story. Our hope is to create a supportive place for people to realize that they are not suffering alone, that there is no shame in getting help and that there is hope. One of the ways we plan on combating the stigma associated with mental illness is by showing how common it is for people to experience mental health issues. Email us to be featured in our blog.
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About the Team
The Mental Health Awareness Foundation of Canada (MHAFOC), is a non-profit organization that aims to increase awareness about issues relating to mental health. We provide a forum for users to share their experiences about living with mental illness. We aim to encourage a collaborative and supportive resource for those living or affected by mental health issues to access. One of our goals is to help reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and to give people hope in their struggles with mental health issues.
Parish Bhumgara, Co-Founder
Parish is a student at Western Law. Prior to starting law school, Parish completed his BA and MA in philosophy at Queen’s University in Kingston. Parish was motivated to create the MHAFOC, because he has seen it impact the lives of people close to him. His father has battled depression for over a decade. Additionally, a very good friend of his was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Parish is motivated to increase awareness about mental health issues, so that people living with them can feel less alone and share their experiences.
Sarosh Bhumgara,
Co-Founder
Sarosh is Parish’s older brother and works as a Strength and Conditioning Coach and Personal Trainer. He has a 4 Year BA in Psychology and Economics from Western University. Sarosh was motivated to help create the MHAFOC because he has seen first hand the positive effects exercise has on people with mental illness. Like Parish, Sarosh has experienced the effect their father’s depression has had on his life and the ways it has impacted the family. Sarosh focuses on the intimate relationship between physical and mental health so his clients can achieve a thriving lifestyle.
Sean Bhesania,
Treasurer
Sean is a CPA candidate and Senior Consultant in Advisory Services (Technology Risk Consulting) at KPMG LLP. Sean has a BCom in Economics, with a minor in Finance from Ryerson University. Prior to joining the MHAFOC, Sean was Co-Founder and Treasurer of Global ReGenesis (later renamed Project Omee). Global ReGenesis was a non-profit organization providing poverty alleviation services to Omee, a small village, in Uganda.
Nadine Saba, Graphics Coordinator
Nadine Saba is a student at Western Law. She joined the team because she wanted to use her skills with graphic design for a worthwhile cause. In her first year at Western Law, Nadine completed a voluntary course in Mindfulness. Her experience in this course taught her how to manage her thoughts, especially when experiencing stress. In her free time, Nadine enjoys watching historical documentaries, creating new recipes and having game nights with her family.
Jordana Lyons, Fundraising Committee
Jordana is a dual HBA/JD student at the Ivey Business School and Western Law. Increased awareness surrounding mental health is a cause that is extremely important to Jordana. She is very excited to be a part of the MHAFOC team which provides a supportive platform to discuss issues relating to mental health, so that together we can reduce the stigma.
Eric Lee,
Social Media Manager - Twitter
Eric is a current student at Western Law. Prior to law school, he completed a B.Sc in Physiology at McGill University. Eric is very passionate on spreading awareness of mental health and in finding ways to break the stigma behind it. With his involvement of past university organizations supporting mental health, Eric is looking forward to help MHAFOC extend their platform.
Alyssa Chen, Social Media Manager - Facebook
Alyssa is a second year law student at Western University. Prior to law school, Alyssa earned her BA at the University of Waterloo, where she was involved in several university organizations that supported students mental health. Alyssa is excited to be part of the MHAFOC team and to create a supportive platform to raise awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.
Zachary A. Demers, Social Media Manager - Instagram
Zachary is a law student at Western University. Prior to law school, he graduated from the University of Toronto with a double major in Criminology and Philosophy. Zachary is keen on encouraging mental health and mindfulness, which are integral, yet often neglected elements of life in the legal profession. Zachary is someone who wears his heart on his sleeve, and he hopes that he can encourage others to do the same.
Wincy Ho, Fundraising Committee
Wincy is a law student at Western University. Prior to law school, Wincy earned an Honours Bachelor of Arts with a specialization in Political Science and a minor in Criminology. Wincy is passionate about helping others. She looks forward to helping eliminate the stigma associated with mental illnesses and creating lasting impacts within our communities.
Timothy Daly, Fundraising Committee
Tim’s looking forward to volunteering with the team. This has been a dear cause to him as evidenced with his history in projects dealing with well being like starting an art therapy program for sick kids. He found a passion for projects like these in his years with hospice.
Zohaib Ahmed, Fundraising Committee
Prior to beginning his JD at Western Law, Zohaib completed a BAH in Political Studies & Philosophy and a Certificate in Business at Queen’s University. He became invested in normalizing discussion of mental health after witnessing the silent struggle of his family and friends. At Queen's, Zohaib advocated the importance of self-care for everyone, not just those expressly struggling with their mental health. His Motto is “10/10 people have mental health”. Zohaib is excited to work with the rest of the MHAFOC team to continue the conversation and lend a hand to anyone who needs it.
Sean Timlick, Fundraising Committee
Sean is a student studying at Western Law. Prior to law school, he completed a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Manitoba and achieved his CPA designation. He is thrilled to be joining this talented team to work towards reducing the stigma directed towards those struggling with mental illness and to support mental health programs.
Ryle Cameron, Fundraising Committee
Ryle is a law student studying at Western University. Prior to law school, Ryle completed a four-year degree at McMaster University where he became involved in, and eventually co-lead, a student-run organization called Loved For The Streets. The group met weekly in the downtown Core to establish relationships with their friends – Hamilton’s less fortunate – and encountered many who experienced various kinds of mental illness. Learning to support these friends has been incredibly impactful, and Ryle looks forward to helping the team grow the conversation around mental health in the community.
Josh Pedersen, Fundraising Committee
Josh is currently pursuing a JD from Western Law. Prior to law school, Josh earned his BAH in Political Science with a minor in Economics from the University of Guelph. Having witnessed the experience of family members’ struggles with mental health issues, he understands the importance of being able to discuss mental health openly and seek help in a safe and supportive environment. With MHAFOC he hopes to help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues and ensure support is available to all.
Zehan Jagosh, Fundraising Committee
Zehan is currently completing his JD at Windsor Law. Prior to law school, Zehan completed his Master of Environmental Science degree at the University of Western Ontario and an undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph in political science and economics. Like so many of our members, Zehan was motivated to join MHAFOC because mental health issues are a cause that he values and cares about. He hopes to be a helpful and useful resource to other individuals who have gone through tragedy or trauma.
Tamar Klein, Fundraising Committee
Tamar is a law student studying at Western University. Prior to law school, she completed an honours Bachelor of Arts from York University. Tamar is excited to join a foundation dedicated to creating a safe space for individuals struggling with their mental health. She looks forward to helping to fight and reduce the stigma associated with mental health