The YMCA Community Action Network has unveiled three murals in an effort to reduce the stigma associated with mental and physical health.
Coordinator Nicole Wry says the goal of each mural is to encourage conversations on wellness, “Mental health comes up in every new group that I work with. I think it has just been amplified by COVID. Youth are really struggling but they want to talk about it, which is huge because when I was in high school no one talked about it.”
Two of the murals can be found at the Moncton YMCA, and the third at their location on War Veterans Avenue.
“The murals themselves are so beautiful and so well done. On the murals there is a QR code, so youth can scan that QR code and it takes them to a website, Slash the Stigma website, where users can find resources on topics including anxiety and physical wellness,” Wry says.
The mural artists are Nicki Kennedy, Kayla Cruickshank and Cass McCartney.
“They designed them, and they presented the ideas to our CEO. Instead of choosing just one, he asked for all three,” Wry told us.
