April 21, 2004

Health Minister Dave Chomiak announced today the Eating Disorders Association of Manitoba (EDAM) is being provided with funding to help the organization provide support to individuals and their family members who are living with eating disorders.

“Like the other self-help agencies we fund, the Eating Disorders Association provides a critical service by helping family members and individuals as they work to recover from mental illness,” the minister said. “This financial support allows volunteer EDAM members to help themselves and others.”

Created in 1998, EDAM is a non-profit organization that offers self-help and public education. Some of its activities include:

• offering support group sessions for family members of individuals living with eating disorders;

• responding to telephone calls from parents, individuals with eating disorders and health care providers;

• providing information packages throughout the province; and

• making presentations to schools, university students in health disciplines, social services agencies and other groups.

“EDAM offers this support service locally, works with Well-Connected, a rural-based eating disorders support network, and plays a significant national role in this issue despite the fact that it is completely run by volunteers,” said Chomiak, while announcing $27,000 in funding for the group for 2004-05.

Along with EDAM, Manitoba Health provides $1.4 million to five other mental health self-help organizations: the Canadian Mental Health Association, Manitoba Schizophrenia Society, Mood Disorders Association, Anxiety Disorders Association and the Obsessive Compulsive Disorders Centre.

“These organizations work at the community level where their help is needed most,” said Chomiak. “This funding helps them provide essential support to people and their families as they deal with mental illness.”

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