Reaching Out and Empowering: How Reach Out Together and Unsugarcoated Media Are Partners for Mental Health Awareness

Toronto, Canada, July 08, 2020 --(PR.com)-- A Toronto-based non-profit and a Los Angeles-based non-profit have once again partnered for a first-of-its-kind event to overcome barriers to discussions and treatment of mental illness.

Canadian non-profit Reach Out Together’s upcoming 2020 World Reach Out Together Day will feature the return of thought leaders from a groundbreaking Los Angeles-based non-profit, Unsugarcoated Media.

Reach Out Together first partnered with Unsugarcoated Media in August of 2019 to kick off an annual collaborative event: EmpowerCon. Held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, EmpowerCon was organized, according to Unsugarcoated Media’s website, as “a one-day elevating experience that will lead attendees to admit their shortcomings in their career and personal life, ask professionals, each other, and themselves what needs to be done to achieve their goals, and…to adjust their outlook…in an attempt to create an impact that will last well beyond the event.”

Nearly a year later, the two non-profits are continuing their common mission in partnership for a July 12 Global Virtual Summit to raise awareness and encourage treatment for mental illness.

In its plans for EmpowerCon in 2020, Unsugarcoated Media said, “All speakers, regardless of job title, industry, or identity, are encouraged to apply for consideration, as EmpowerCon wants to welcome all communities and perspectives into the conversation.” The common goal for both Reach Out Together and Unsugarcoated Media was, and is, to connect with and impact everyone.

While the COVID-19 pandemic means an uncertain future for large-scale in-person gatherings this year, World Reach Out Together Day will take to cyberspace to overcome this challenge to the non-profits’ shared mission. The Global Mental Health Virtual Summit will feature six panels (one each for six continents), connecting personal and professional stories of struggles and achievements across the world.

The inaugural EmpowerCon featured high-profile personalities such as Michael Uslan, Batman film originator and executive producer of Oscar-winning Joker, and Norma Bastidas, the first female to break the Guiness World Record for longest triathlon.

It also featured an “EmpowerCon Notable Charity Award,” granting the winner promotion up to and during the event, as well as donations through a silent auction.

Continuing the trend, the Global Virtual Summit will also feature high-profile personalities, recently-established non-profits, and interactive activities.

Aalia Lanius, founder of Unsugarcoated Media, expects the Summit to be a successful step for Reach Out Together toward its mission.

"Reach Out Together was a great support to have at EmpowerCon and made a positive impact,” she said. “I think the 12-hour virtual series will be another opportunity for individuals to be supported at an especially sensitive time. For me and my network, I want to see them have the advantage of what this experience can bring and I'll definitely be tuning in."

About Reach Out Together:

Reach Out Together is a registered Canadian not-for-profit organization empowering people to improve their mental health, break stigma, and work toward recovery. Reach Out Together has hosted outreach events across the world, with a vision to make Reach Out Together the largest global network of mental health advocates.

Started in 2017 by Toronto-based entrepreneur and best-selling author Aanchal Vashistha, after the passing of her twin brother Tushar to suicide, Reach Out Together offers educational workshops, interactive programs and guidance to mental health services. The organization also hosts public events, including its annual “World Reach Out Together Day” on July 12, to mark the date of Tushar Vashistha’s passing in 2016, and to raise awareness of how to recognize symptoms of mental illness, intervene and encourage access to treatment.

Learn more at reachouttogether.com.