Yellow Friendship Benches have been installed at all Saskatchewan Polytechnic campuses.
They are meant to encourage students to talk about mental health and help end the stigma around mental illness.
Sam Fiorella founded the Friendship Bench initiative after his teenaged son, Lucas died by suicide. Fiorella said he didn’t know his son was suffering from depression and started the initiative to help others open up before it’s too late.
“It’s about encouraging students to make it okay for other students to be open and honest about what they’re feeling, so that they’re more likely to then get the help that they need and stop suffering in silence,” Fiorella said.
The benches are yellow to remind people that “yellow is for hello.” Fiorella said starting a conversation with someone can help save a life.
“This one word ‘hello,’ we believe will inspire students to not just say hello for the sake of saying hello but to go a little deeper. To ask a question and to be open to receiving a ‘hello’ and encouraging those honest conversations,” he said.
The Friendship Bench was funded by Dr. Anne Neufeld, founder of Annie’s Friends Foundation, an initiative that supports health and wellness.
Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw, and Prince Albert campuses all have a bench in place. More than 50 Friendship Benches have been installed in high schools and post-secondary institutions across Canada.
