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Michał Rojek | Dreamstime.com
Text4Hope

Text-based service launched for Albertans stressed over COVID-19

Mar 23, 2020 | 8:26 PM

AHS has launched a new text-based service to give Albertans encouragement and ease feelings of stress or anxiety as they respond to recent challenges.

Albertans can text “COVID19Hope” to 393939. In response, they will receive daily text messages on how to focus on healthy thinking or actions to help them manage their mood.

“Connection is so vitally important to our mental and emotional well-being,” Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, said in announcing Text4Hope during her daily COVID-19 update on Monday. “All Albertans have been impacted by COVID-19 — and this free program is an additional resource to help us find encouragement and strength as we navigate the day-to-day challenges of a new normal.”

Over the past few days Albertans have been encouraged to take to social media and use the #AlbertaCares hashtag to show how we are caring for one another during these difficult times. Hinshaw said the response has been heartwarming.

“Every act – those big or small – lifts us up as a province and demonstrates how quickly Albertans take action to care for one another,” she shared. “Acts like restaurants donating food to organizations that help feed seniors or the homeless, neighbours running errands for each other and sharing groceries, kids posting drawings in their windows as a make-shift art gallery to cheer up their neighbours, retail chains donating stock like face shields to front line health care workers, and landlords working with tenants to provide relief during these trying times.

“Please continue to share your stories using the AlbertaCares hashtag and continue to take care of each other and yourselves.”