Charitable Donations

Playful Pastimes supports Youth Mental Health Canada which is a youth-driven non-profit organization focused on education and advocacy for youth mental health change and advocates for funding of publicly funded, culturally sensitive, needs-based support and services in healthcare and education which we strongly support. This philosophy aligns with the Playful Pastimes brand because we firmly believe simple pastimes like puzzles promote good mental health.  

Our belief is that mental health and physical health should be valued equally and immediate and effective responses to mental health issues and crises is critical to the safety of our communities. 

Puzzling provides many benefits to the brain and a greater understanding of how the brain works will contribute to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of disorders of the brain such as dementia and depression so Playful Pastimes supports brain research through Brain Canada Foundation. We make quarterly contributions rather than a set dollar amount per puzzle and work with Monica Berger from the foundation to determine the distribution of funds between projects. Located in Montreal, Quebec they play a unique and invaluable role as the national convener of a community of those who support and advance brain research with 90% of the funding going directly to research. While there have been many breakthroughs in recent years, researchers have a long way to go to fully unravel the mysteries of the brain. There are about 1,000 disorders of the brain and nervous system. For more information about this non-profit organization, visit Brain Canada website. 

  

Playful Pastimes was founded under the spirit of giving back. Recognizing that many people with limited mobility can struggle with the prolonged periods of isolation, we decided to donate puzzles to our local chapter of Meals On Wheels. We know that doing puzzles can help relieve the stress that some may be experiencing without daily the interaction of loved ones. Doing a puzzle has similar effects as meditation; when you focus on one image for a long period of time, without extraneous thoughts entering your mind, any stress you may be experiencing evaporates and is replaced by a sense of peace and tranquility.