Christmas Day is a joyous time for many who celebrate the holiday, but for one mental health advocate in St. John’s, it was a time of action.

Kristi Allen has demonstrated weekly at various locations for the past 160 weeks, aiming to draw attention to the need for greater mental health supports within the province, and this past Christmas Day was no exception.

Allen, accompanied by three others, took to the steps of the Confederation Building where she filmed a short video. In the footage, she’s seen flipping through a series of signs bearing a message for the government. The video has garnered over 30,000 views and has spurred discussions on various social media platforms since it was posted.

As an advocate, Allen has been steadfast in her weekly approach to raising awareness, even demonstrating on her wedding day and other special occasions.

She asserts that mental health issues don’t wait for a convenient time, and her presence at the government building further underscores this point. She advocates for more comprehensive care options for those facing long-term struggles.

Allen says as much as she would like to sleep in on Christmas day she believes showing up has a big impact. She hopes government officials and the health authority will listen to consultation groups as the list of deficiencies is long. Allen is hoping to move the needle significantly in 2024.

Allen is determined to maintain her stance into the future and will be demonstrating once again on New Year’s Day.

SO grateful to everyone who liked and shared the video. Hopeful that @FureyAndrew and @TomOsborneMHA saw it. I was worried about reaching people on such a busy day. Also hope yesterday was kind to all of you– thank you for everything you do to support the demonstrations. https://t.co/LBumaiQBLA

— Kristi (@mynlcorner) December 26, 2023