Zach’s Mission
Zach’s mission has always been to raise money and awareness for Kid’s Mental Health initiatives. He wants our government to make sure that kid’s mental health needs are a PRIORITY.
Mission Statement
Zach Makes Tracks’ mission is to support improvements in community-based frontline youth mental health services across Canada. How do we achieve this?
Through campaign fundraising, Zach Makes Tracks will contribute proceeds directly to youth mental health service providers who commit to applying donated funds towards:
- Programs that will improve access and system response time
- Resources (i.e., staffing, new programs, etc…) to mitigate wait times and facilitate on-demand intervention(s)
- Facilitating dynamic approaches to patient-focused care through standard and on-going measurement- and outcomes-based assessments
- Partnership and solidarity with stakeholders, businesses and other youth/mental health organizations providing complementary and synergistic services supporting mental health awareness and education as well as direct provision of mental and behavioural health services.
Who Is Zach
A shy, yet vibrant Canadian high school student from Barrie, Ontario who wears his heart on his sleeve. He is a passionate and driven mental health advocate who is on a mission to create change and disrupt the status quo when it comes to the treatment of mental health.
At the age of 13, Zach set out on his first mission where he biked, ran and walked from Barrie to Ottawa in an effort to raise awareness and funds for youth mental health. To date, Zach has raised over $170,000 and has had the opportunity to meet with our Prime Minister and many other dignitaries to ask that our leaders make Youth Mental Health a priority. He’s also high-fived thousands of kids across our province and created countless important conversations.
Zach’s ‘Why’
Zach believes that what the world needs is for kids to feel safe. For them to grow and not worry and be able to create ideas and things. Kids aren’t supposed to feel weighed down by things like adults – and he says that’s what is beautiful about them. But it doesn’t seem to be that way anymore with social media and the way things are. Zach says we should listen to youth more. With no judgment or criticism. And when they find their inner warrior and the courage to say they are troubled and need help – we need to be there! Zach has also felt the effects of mental illness from friends and family members, most notably, his mom.
