By Samantha Reed [1]
BELLEVILLE – The owner of a Stirling accessories boutique is bringing attention to mental health.
At the third anniversary of Bella Ever After [2]this Saturday, shop owner Tammy Latchford is hosting advocates for mental-health awareness, who will speak about their experiences.
Two of those people are Shawn Antoski and Amy Cummings of the Fear Nothing project [3], which aims to raise awareness about depression and support people suffering from it.
Latchford said that, having suffered from mental-health issues herself, she is a big supporter of the cause.
The celebration will also be the official launch of the Ellie Project [4], which aims to raise awareness about eating disorders. It was created by Tweed resident and Western University graduate Katie Marlin. The Ellie Project sells necklaces made of forks, shaped to look like an elephant; half of the proceeds of sales are donated to eating-disorder causes.
Latchford said she has had many people share their stories with her about dealing with some form of grief, depression or anxiety.
She wants her store to be about more than the things that she sells, she wants people to feel comfortable to share who they are, she said.
The anniversary celebration starts at 1 p.m. at the Bella Ever After Boutique at 21 West Front St., Stirling.