Back-to-school can be an exciting time, but also an anxious time, and local organizations and agencies gathered together on Friday to help prepare children, youth and their families for next week’s big return to the classroom.

The Canadian Mental Health Association Grey Bruce Mental Health and Addiction Services teamed up with about a dozen organizations and businesses to present their sixth annual Teddy Bear Picnic at Harrison Park on Friday. The event included story telling, sing-alongs, puppet shows, workshops, games and even a photo booth, all while raising awareness about the mental health resources that are available in the community.

Jackie Ralph, youth awareness and education supervisor with the CMHA Grey Bruce, said holding the picnic this year was especially important following the isolation of COVID-19 that many have experienced at times over the past couple of years.

“Even at the beginning of the pandemic we talked about social distancing as a way to physical distance, but we took that social distance too much to heart I think,” Ralph said. “We didn’t stay as connected as we could have been, so it is just rewiring our brains.

“Yes, absolutely during the pandemic we need to stay physically distanced from each other, but we needed people more than ever, so we need to do a little bit of catch-up.”

Ralph said that for some kids who are going back to school next week, it can be a completely foreign environment, which can lead to a lot of anxiety and fear.

“Maybe some kids haven’t been in a classroom for two years, this is their first time back,” Ralph said. “Maybe some of the kids have never even been in a classroom. If you were starting JK in 2020, maybe you haven’t seen anybody yet in a classroom setting.”

Numerous agencies were on hand taking part in the event, including Big Brothers, Big Sisters, the Owen Sound Police Service, Grey Bruce Health Unit, St. John Ambulance, Owen Sound and North Grey Union Public Library, and Community Living and Keystone Child, Youth and Family Services. Many of the agencies are part of the Grey Bruce We C.A.R.E committee, which partners with the CMHA to reach out to families to provide advocacy and education around programs and services available in the region.

Others on hand included Musician Lauren Best, the Home Depot workshop, Boston Pizza and Sound Life Solutions.

Families were being provided with a package that includes information and contacts for services such as Kids Help Phone, 211, United Way and Jumpstart.

“The great thing about having Keystone here is that I always say with kids, if you ever ask, ‘is that normal,’ then that is the right time to call Keystone because that is the right time to question those things,” Ralph said. “The quicker we can get in always is a better outcome for everybody.”

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