Mental health auction marks end of powerful tradition in support of OSMH

Angie Green-Hill’s fundraiser has raised more than $127,000 for OSMH mental health programs

Angie Green-Hill was lying in bed with a broken foot when the idea came to her.

She had just completed the mental health day program at Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH), an experience she credits with helping her rebuild her life. Unable to move for weeks, she began thinking about how she could give back.

That moment became the beginning of something far bigger than she ever imagined.

Now, 10 years later, Green-Hill is preparing to host the final edition of her annual Mental Health Online Auction, a community-driven fundraiser that has raised more than $127,500 in support of OSMH’s mental health department.

“This is going to be the last one,” she said.

The online auction, which supports programs on the hospital’s sixth floor, has grown from a small Facebook group into a large-scale fundraiser powered almost entirely by local support.

Green-Hill launched the auction following her own struggles with mental health. She said the care she received at OSMH’s day program gave her the tools she needed to move forward.

“They really saved my life,” she said. “They taught me how to breathe through things, how to cope with stress.”

After finishing the program, she found herself sidelined with a broken foot, searching for a way to give back.

“I thought, ‘What can I do?’ And I thought, ‘This is how I’m going to give back to the day program at the mental health at Soldiers’ on C6.’”

What followed was a decade of steady growth, community buy-in, and impact inside the hospital’s mental health unit.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the auction reached its peak, raising approximately $22,000 in a single year.

“People out of the woodwork I’ve never even heard of were donating,” Green-Hill said.

Over time, the fundraiser expanded beyond anything she expected, evolving from a simple social media initiative into a dedicated online platform.

“I never imagined it would grow like this,” she said.

Despite its success, Green-Hill said the decision to step away comes down to the increasing difficulty of asking local businesses for donations during challenging economic times.

“I find it harder and harder and harder to ask people for donations,” she said. “I know how hard it is, so I have a really hard time asking for donations.”

Still, she said, the community has continued to step up, often without being asked.

“I had people from Day 1 … say, ‘We are going to sponsor you.’”

For Green-Hill, the most meaningful part of the journey has been seeing where the money goes.

At a recent hospital luncheon, she was shown how funds from the auction have been used across the mental health department.

“They showed me where the money is going and, to me, that’s what I love,” she said.

Funds have supported a range of initiatives, from recreation programming and exercise equipment to patient scrubs that offer more dignity than hospital gowns. Contributions have also helped expand crisis spaces in the emergency department and support therapeutic programs like music and pet therapy.

“It’s going to good things,” she said. “They’re actually using the money.”

Some of those changes are deeply personal.

“Pet therapy — that didn’t happen when I was there,” she said. “Now, it’s huge.”

The hospital has also invested in music therapy.

“It’s extremely fantastic. I helped do that. That’s pretty cool,” she said.

Green-Hill is proud not only of the money raised, but of what it represents.

“I’m really proud of our community for stepping up when you mention mental health. There’s still that stigma,” she said.

Her own journey remains closely connected to the cause.

“I can breathe through an anxiety attack now,” she said. “I have coping skills. I know the steps.”

She still reflects on her time in the program, especially when she sees the impact of what the auction has helped create.

“It brings you right back,” she said.

When asked what she would say to the version of herself who was struggling, she said, “keep going.”

“Hang in there. This, too, shall pass.”

As she prepares for the final auction, Green-Hill has set her most ambitious goal yet — $22,500, which would bring the fundraiser’s 10-year total to an even $150,000.

“I’m not confident. Not whatsoever,” she said with a laugh. “But, you never know.”

This year’s auction will again feature a wide range of donated items from local businesses and community members, including gift cards, services, experiences, and specialty items, with a mix of longtime supporters and new contributors.

“I’ve got some good ones up my sleeve,” Green-Hill said. 

The Mental Health Online Auction runs May 4 at 3 p.m. to May 11 at 6 p.m., with items posted and bids accepted through the event’s Facebook page. 

While this marks the end of the auction in its current form, Green-Hill said it is not the end of her efforts to support mental health in the community.

“I’m not going to quit fundraising,” she said. “I’ll think of something different for next year.”