This month, Craftzero will donate $1 for every order placed to Mental Health Australia to help Australians in need, especially during the pandemic. Every time you purchase any of our non-alcoholic beverages, you will also be donating to a deserving charity that has helped so many Australians struggling with their mental health, you can't tell me that's not a win-win! Here at Craftzero we are very passionate about giving back wherever we can and supporting Mental Health Australia through all of your purchases will help plenty of people in need.

Making a positive change during lockdown

Mental Health Australia strongly believes in bettering the mental health of all Australians in need. Throughout the pandemic, mental health around the country has been in a decline due to the unfortunate circumstances. That is this organisation has been so crucial in helping and assisting the well-being of Australians. Did you know, one in every five Australians is experiencing high or very high levels of psychological distress as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, with young people, women, and people with disabilities being the most affected. According to an Australian Bureau of Statistics survey on the household impact of Covid-19, the recent Victorian outbreak resulted in a surge in psychological distress, with nearly a third of people in the state reporting feelings of depression and anxiety, compared to 18% in the rest of Australia. According to the most recent study, which looked at how the Covid 19 epidemic was affecting Australians in June, just before the Sydney lockdown, roughly 28% of adults said they had felt "nervous" in the previous four weeks. This is the highest figure in six months, but it's still lower than the 45.7 percent who said the same in August of last year, when the Victorian lockdown was at its worst (not including the most recent lockdown). In June 2021, about one-third (30%) of younger Australians aged 18 to 34 reported experiencing high or very high levels of psychological discomfort, compared to 18% of those aged 35 to 64 and 10% of those aged 65 and more. Additionally, Women were almost twice as likely as those without a handicap to report high levels of distress , 29% in women compared to 17% in men, and those living with a disability were nearly twice as likely as those without a disability to report high levels of distress, 29% compared to 17%. As you can see, if mental health numbers were alarming before, they have dramatically increased during the pandemic, leaving many Australians in a negative emotional well-being. The reason for this spike is simple: loss of jobs, loss of freedom, loss of social activities, basically everything has been put on halt for months on end, with some individuals spending weeks or months on a time without any social contact. 

So the real question is, what is Mental Health Australia trying to do to subside this issue? Firstly,  Mental Health Australia believes in following 3 core objectives to achieve our vision of mentally healthy people and communities. Firstly, they encourage people who have suffered with mental illness and those who love and care for them to have a national voice. They also Bring attention to the socioeconomic factors of mental illness and push for long-term improvements throughout the ecosystem. Lastly, they Provide value to our members and the mental health ecosystem as a whole. Secondly, Mental Health Australia has welcomed the Federal Budget for 2021, at a time when our nation's mental health has never been in greater need, nor has there been such a willingness to address the difficulties and challenges at hand. The government recently put a huge amount of money into helping those around Australia with their mental health which means a large sum of money has been given to Mental Health Australia to help fund this positive change we need to see! Although they have funding from the government, that is rarely ever enough. Donating to a cause such as Mental Health Australia will only create a positive difference and is one step closer to helping Australians improve their mental well-being. 

Strongly believe in fairness, inclusion and diversity

Mental Health Australia respects and acknowledges Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities as traditional stewards of the ground on which we work, and we pay our respects to elders past, present, and emerging. Additionally, Mental Health Australia prioritises workplace fairness, diversity, and inclusion, and they strive to foster an inclusive culture and work practises that recognise and embrace differences. Mental Health Australia is in the best position to represent and promote the interests of the mental health sector nationwide because they bring together people from many backgrounds and allow everyone to contribute their skills, experience, and opinions. 

Purchasing for a cause

As you can see from the statistics above, the mental health status for Australians around the country is not good and rapidly decreasing. We have seen more people suffering from depression and anxiety than ever before.  Your ongoing contribution will have an immediate and long-term impact on Australians facing adversity. This organisation needs our support more than ever right now so we are very excited and proud to get behind them and their amazing work. So just remember, every time you purchase anything from Craftzero during the month of October, we will be donating to Mental Health Australia.