Agda Osborn Award for The Sophie Fund

thesophiefund

Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca presented The Sophie Fund with the Agda Osborn Award for community service at its annual celebration on May 8.

“This award recognizes an individual or organization that makes outstanding contributions to our community,” said Executive Director Alicia Kenaley. “The Sophie Fund’s dedication to enhancing mental health support for young people in Ithaca and Tompkins County is remarkable.”

Kenaley said that The Sophie Fund has supported an array of programs since its founding in 2016.

“It actively engages with the community of mental health care providers, educational institutions, nonprofits, and elected officials. We are especially appreciative of the financial support The Sophie Fund provides to mental health clinicians through grants for professional development and selfcare,” she added.

Co-Founder Scott MacLeod said The Sophie Fund was extremely honored to accept the award. He thanked Kenaley, the Family & Children’s team, and the many providers and champions attending the celebration for their tireless efforts to support the mental health of the community.

The award was created in 1983 to honor the late Agda Osborn, a long-serving and dedicated community volunteer with many area organizations, including Family & Children’s Service where she served as a board member.

Osborn, a 1920 graduate of Cornell University, helped establish several local organizations, among them The Hangar Theatre, Cornell Women’s Club, the City Federation of Women’s Organizations, and Historic Ithaca. She was a member of the city’s first planning board, as well as the Common Council, and the Southside Community Council.

Hooray for NAMI Finger Lakes!

thesophiefund

Nearly 200 mental health campaigners participated in a fundraising walk for the Finger Lakes chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness at Ithaca’s Stewart Park on May 4, bringing in $34,534 for NAMI’s support and education programs.

People (and people’s best friends) walking for mental health at Stewart Park

The total far exceeded the organization’s $25,000 goal, but for NAMI-FL Executive Director Sandra Sorensen the event’s success could not be measured in numbers or dollars.

“After the hustle and bustle of setting up and getting things ready, the energy in the Stewart Park pavilion was electrifying,” she said. “It was this feeling that shouted success to me. I found myself surrounded by people engaged in conversation filled with laughter and smiles.” 

“In-person community and relationships play a huge part in keeping all of us mentally engaged and healthy—something we all need more of,” she added.

For Barry Segal and others, raising money for mental health is a walk in the park

That view was seconded by Barry Segal of Segal & Sorensen Construction, the event’s Gold sponsor, who ran into a new friend and neighbor while trekking along the path beside Cayuga Lake. “I gained a new perspective of the services that NAMI provides,” he said.

Participants, including members of 23 fundraising teams, had the option of walking a mile around the park or doing a 5K run. The event included face painting, free food, live music, yoga on the lawn, various giveaways, a scavenger hunt, and a memory wall. Local mental health nonprofits provided information tables. Be Kind Ithaca and Free Hugs Ithaca were on hand, well, to spread kindness and do a lot of hugging.

NAMI-FL recognized David Archer as the No. 1 fundraiser, with a $6,600 haul, and Buoyant Punk made its mark as the top fundraising team with $7,516.00.

Dave Archer and Sandra Sorensen

Scavenger Hunters

NAMI fundraiser Steve Gordon and NAMI volunteer Dale Taylor

NAMI Helps

Photo credits: Tyler Hanna

CLICK HERE to donate to NAMI-Finger Lakes

CLICK HERE to volunteer with NAMI-Finger Lakes

Thank You, Mental Health Providers!

thesophiefund

Sunday May 12 is National Mental Health Provider Appreciation Day! The Sophie Fund joins the Tompkins County Suicide Prevention Coalition in saluting and celebrating our local mental health workforce.

“Thank You” poster @ East Seneca & North Tioga bus shelter

In a small token of appreciation, the coalition has placed “Thank You” posters at two bus shelters in Ithaca—at East Seneca Street & North Tioga Street, and at Cayuga Medical Center. The coalition has also placed public service announcement messages on two Ithaca radio stations throughout the month of May—Lite Rock 97.3 and Rewind 107.7.

“Appreciation” poster @ Cayuga Medical Center bus shelter

We show our appreciation for mental health providers who toil to help us address our mental health issues and enable us to lead happier and healthier lives.

At times, the clinicians, social workers, peer specialists, and others in the field sacrifice their own mental well-being in the service of our community’s health and wellness.

If you know a mental health provider, or are personally supported by one, consider reaching out to them on National Mental Health Provider Appreciation Day (and other times, too!) to express your appreciation. Even better, bake them some cookies or cupcakes, or invite them to share a meal. Small acts of kindness go a long way!

Click here to download poster PDF

Click here to download a shareable social media graphic

Encore! Ithaca’s Fun Festival for Mental Health

thesophiefund

“Better Together for Mental Health,” a free community-wide celebration, is back for its second iteration this year on Saturday May 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Ithaca’s Stewart Park.

Alan Rose and the Restless Elements

This event, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, is a fun day of activities for all ages. Attendees can enjoy live music, dance, wellness workshops, face-painting and carousel rides for kids, indulge in free street food and ice cream, and much more.

Stewart Park will be abuzz with community organizations, mental health providers, instructors, and entertainers, in a vibrant atmosphere for learning, laughter, and connection.

“The turn-out last year for our inaugural event was incredible, and we are so pleased to bring this event back again for our community,” said Jaydyn McCune, co-chair of the planning committee.

“This event highlights things we can all do on a daily basis to help keep ourselves and others mentally healthy. We encourage everyone to come out and join us to celebrate wellness. Let’s make mental health a collective priority, because we are truly ‘Better Together.’” 

The event kicks off at the Large Pavilion with a public proclamation for Mental Health Awareness Month from City of Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo. New York State Senator Lea Webb and Assemblymember Anna Kelles will give opening remarks.

Cantata Singers

Alan Rose and the Restless Elements get the beats started with a musical tribute, “The Better Together Song.” Other featured performers include Mandy Goldman, Penelope Voss, Joe Gibson and Dan Collins, the Cantana Singers, Rose Alaimo and Stan Stewart, GIAC Jumpers, and Crossroads the Clown.

The Small Pavilion is the venue for wellness workshops on meditation, life-coaching, choral singing, conflict management, and life balance.

A special tent space in the park will host interactive activities, including story time for children, yoga, sound therapy, meditation, and a singing circle.

Luna Inspired Street Food, Yxi’s Arepas & the Chef Gordito, Meg A Moo’s Ice Cream, and Purity Ice Cream Co. will be providing free eats for attendees.

Dan Collins and Joe Gibson

Representatives from over 30 community organizations will spread out along the walking path of the park, to share information about their programs as well as provide wellness-based activities, such as arts and crafts and lawn games.

Better Together is organized by more than 15 local organizations and dozens of artists, musicians, mental health practitioners, and volunteers. 

This year’s event is sponsored by Cayuga Health, CFCU Community Credit Union, Guthrie, True Insurance; funded in partnership by Friends of Greg, The Sophie Fund, Northwestern Mutual, Sciarabba Walker & Co.; and supported by the Community Foundation of Tompkins County, Duthie Orthodontics, Health & Unity for Greg, Tompkins Community Bank, and McCutcheon, Patel, Livermore & Associates DDS. In-kind donations are provided by Wegmans, Gimme! Coffee and Ithaca Coffee Co.; along with personal donations from Carla and Steve Fontana, Gene Yarussi, and numerous others.

Stan Stewart and Rose Alaimo

Mandy Goodman

Penelope Voss

Let’s Celebrate Mental Health!

thesophiefund

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which inspires us to reflect on our own well-being and to check in on loved ones and friends. It’s also a chance for all of us to help fight the stigma around mental illness and appreciate our local mental health work force. Check out what’s happening in the greater Ithaca community this month!

NAMIWalks

On Saturday May 4, the Finger Lakes chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness hosts its NAMIWalks fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Stewart Park. You can do a one-mile walk or a fun 5K run. Other activities: face painting, food, live music, yoga, giveaways, local mental health information tables, free hugs, Be Kind, memory wall, passport scavenger hunt, and more.  

The event raises awareness about mental health and collects funds for NAMI Finger Lakes. The organization provides support for families and friends of people diagnosed with major mental illnesses, educates about mental health conditions, and advocates for families and their loved ones.

Click Here for More Information or to Donate

Better Together for Mental Health

Celebrate mental health at the Better Together fair at Stewart Park on May 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s a fun day of FREE live music, dance, juggling performances, well-being workshops, yoga, and free street food. Check out the information tables staffed by more than a dozen local mental health providers.

Better Together for Mental Health is a collaboration of community organizations coming together to share the message of community investment in mental health and wellness.

Click Here for the Better Together Schedule

Mental Health Month Toolkit

Mental Health America provides a wealth of information and materials to help individuals, organizations, schools, and businesses participate in Mental Health Awareness Month.

MHA’s 2024 theme is “Where to Start: Mental Health in a Changing World.” Its toolkit includes social media graphics; sample email texts, articles, and proclamations; and a host of mental health resources, coping skills, and worksheets to help navigate the challenges of living in the world today.

Mental Health America is the parent organization of the Mental Health Association in Tompkins County. Click here to check them out.

Click Here to Download the MHA’s 2024 Mental Health Month Toolkit

Tompkins County Mental Health Support and Crisis Services

Take the time to know what mental health support resources are available if you live in Tompkins County. Resources are helpful to those experiencing mental health disorders, as well as to their families and friends. If you are at all concerned about your mental health, or about a loved one or someone you know, stay educated about mental health and how to get help. You may even save a life.

Click Here to Download