June 30, 2025
Online Mental Health and Wellness and Summer Food Resources
With the continued wellness of our students in mind as we enter the summer months, our school counsellor Mrs. Sasakura has helped us compile a handy list of mental health & wellness resources that students can access online or by phone. These resources are either self-help tools that they can use on their own or with a trusted family member, or ways to reach out to qualified people and programs for additional support.
Counselling and crisis services
- While school is in session students can reach Mrs. Sasakura during her office hours, from Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM via email (ssasakura@sd40.bc.ca), Google Chat/Google Meets, or MS Teams.
- For help outside of her hours, please call the Youth In BC Crisis Centre at 604-872-3311, or connect via chat at youthinbc.com.
- Students can also reach out to Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868, or text 686868 to reach a trained volunteer Crisis Responder 24/7.
- Foundry BC has recently begun a FREE drop-in online counselling program for youth and families–please call in to make an appointment at 1-833-308-6379!
- The Aboriginal Crisis Line operates in partnership between the First Nations Health Authority and the KUU-US Crisis Line Society. They provide a First Nations and Indigenous specific crisis line available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, toll-free from anywhere in BC at 1-800-588-8717 for not only youth, but children, adults, and Elders as well.
- Trans Lifeline is a non-profit, volunteer-run hotline and crisis line staffed by transgender people for transgender people that can also connect trans people to the community, support, and resources they need to survive and thrive. Reach them at 1-877-330-6366.
Other resources
- For parents, the Ministry of Education has recently put out a downloadable PDF entitled “Mental Well-Being Information and Resources”. It contains a plethora of information about ways to support children and caring adults during these times and also includes detailed lists of resources and supports for LGBTQIA2S+ youth, Indigenous families, and mental health resources in other languages.
- Stigma-Free Society Youth Wellness Toolkit
- For our LGBTQIA2S+ youth and those who love them, QMUNITY and Qchat.ca both offer lists of more specific resources for queer youth living in the Lower Mainlaind.
- Here’s a list of apps, books, and links that can help with Mindfulness for Teens!
- Here’s an article that lists 15 Mindfulness and Relaxation Apps for Kids with Anxiety.
- Cosmic Kids Yoga offers a healthy and mindful way for kids to get their bodies moving at home.
- If yoga isn’t your thing, you can also try out the Born to Move classes by Les Mills on YouTube.
Local food resources
When school is out for the summer months, students and families dealing with food insecurity can temporarily lose access to important supports. With this in mind, we have put together a list of community resources such as food banks, hampers, langars, and more!
- The City of New Westminster offers a regularly updated food resources & survival guide page.
- Access the Don’t Go Hungry program, which has several locations around metro Vancouver.
- Quest Non-Profit Grocery Market operates a location just across the New West-Burnaby border at 7753 6th St, Burnaby. For a Client Referral, please reach out to one of our administrators, counsellors, or Child & Youth workers!
- The Greater Vancouver Food Bank
- The Gurdwara Sahib Food Langar offers free meals to those in need daily until 8 pm, 7 days a week! 347 Wood Street, Queensborough.
- St. Barnabas Church (1010 5th Avenue) offers an emergency food cupboard on Fridays from 10 am to 12 pm. Call them at 604-526-6646.
- A list of low-cost and free food programs in Burnaby/New West: Low Cost Free Food Programs Burnaby New West.
- Purpose Society New Westminster.
- And a great list of community resources from the New Westminster Public Library!
If there’s another great tool or resource that you think we’ve missed here, please feel free to email us at glenbrook@sd40.bc.ca with your suggestion!