A former recipient of the Outpatient Mental Health Program at Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital is paying it forward. Angie Green Hill has made a donation of $13,000 to the Outpatient Program, which she raised through her second annual online auction.

“I wouldn’t be fundraising for the Outpatient Program if it didn’t save my life,” said Angie, who received treatment through the program for depression and anxiety. “That’s why it’s so important for me to see OSMH continue providing these services. I would like to thank all of the donors and bidders for making this auction such a success.”

Between this year and last, Angie has raised more than $25,000 for mental health services at the Hospital. Last year’s funds went towards updating all of the media equipment used for group education through the Outpatient Program.

Shawna Belcher is the Manager of the Outpatient Program and says they have a long list of items that Angie’s donation will go to support in the coming months.

“We desperately need to update the furniture for all our program areas to improve the comfort of patients in our mental health programs,” said Shawna. “This Fall, we will also be implementing the Ontario Perception of Care tool that allows people who access our services to provide feedback on how they feel about the care they are receiving. This is an electronic tool and can be completed while someone is waiting for their appointment through a portable tablet.”

The Mental Health Outpatient Program provides treatment for patients with symptoms of mental illness as an alternative to being admitted to the Hospital. Since it opened in April 2006 the program has averaged 200-250 visits per month providing service to Orillia and surrounding area.