Innovation partners with H.O.P.E. Learning Center

Innovation Credit Union is proud to partner with H.O.P.E. Learning Center, as a sponsor of its Lunch Byte's series for the year 2021-2022. H.O.P.E. is a unique learning center where people who have experienced mental health issues, their peers, family members and mental health professionals all come together to use their knowledge and experience to work collaboratively and on equal terms to co-develop and co-deliver courses on a range of topics that support well-being and recovery. By sponsoring these educational programs, Innovation Credit Union is enabling H.O.P.E. to develop new courses and bring in new speakers for this fiscal year.

“MHA Saskatchewan Division and the H.O.P.E. Learning Centre are very excited to partner with Innovation Credit Union in presenting our weekly Mental Health Bytes. This partnership is going to have a significant impact on the mental wellness of many members of our communities. Their support is very much appreciated," said Phyllis O'Connor, Executive Director, H.O.P.E. Learning Center.

Innovation Credit Union supports multiple organizations in various community categories like Education, Sports and Rec, Arts and Culture, Health and Wellness, Poverty, Environment, and Diversity and Inclusion. Innovation members and community members alike told us which category mattered the most to them via an online survey this year. The goal was to donate $5,000 to an organization within the winning category.

The response to the survey was overwhelming and truly a testament to how much community means to people in this province. The survey clearly indicated the importance of ‘Health & Wellness’ with 22% of the votes. Guided by these results, Innovation Credit Union decided to donate $5,000 to the Canadian Mental Health Association – SK Division which was further allocated to the H.O.P.E. Learning Center.

After the donation, Innovation continues to be a sponsor to the Mental Health Bytes project, which is one of H.O.P.E.’s most successful innovations during the pandemic. Every Tuesday, during the noon hours, presentations are made on variety of mental health topics. These sessions are offered at no cost to the registrants. This series is also their most popular offering, where they have already hosted 484 participants, with a 70% retention rate. This virtual course of mental health lunch bytes will cover topics like World Suicide Prevention Day, men’s mental health, and effective team building to ensure a psychologically safe and healthy workplace, to name a few.

“Listening to our community and taking action based on their suggestions is important to us,” says Daniel Johnson, CEO, Innovation Credit Union, “We are committed to doing the right thing for our members and communities with our profits, to ensure social change. We are hopeful of making a difference in the Health & Wellness space through this partnership.” Innovation Credit Union has been supporting communities across categories like Education, Sports and Rec, Arts and Culture, Health and Wellness, Poverty, Environment, and Diversity and Inclusion. In 2020, despite the challenges faced due to the global pandemic, Innovation invested $504,731 into communities, amounting to 2.13% of pre-tax profits. Their main priority was to continue to support the communities at a time when it was needed most.