Every year, to mark Sophie’s birthday on August 23 we launch our annual fundraising appeal. Please consider making a donation today to support The Sophie Fund’s work aiding the mental health of young people in the Ithaca and Tompkins County communities. 100% of donations go directly toward the grants we provide to mental health providers and community organizations for training and programming; and to our modest operating costs.
Thank you for being part of our collective mental health mission!
To Make a Donation:
Click Here for The Sophie Fund Donation Page
Current goals in need of funding include:
—Training in mental health and suicide prevention for Ithaca-area clinicians, social workers, and community members. This includes The Wellness Institute’s annual suicide prevention conference next March; and plans to provide targeted education in suicide prevention for primary care practices sometime this winter or next spring.
—Tompkins County’s “United in Kindness” community events in October for Bullying Prevention Month (one or more expert presentations on bullying TBD).
—Hosting our 9th Annual Ithaca Cupcake Baking Contest on October 19 to raise awareness about mental health challenges and supports.
A few highlights of The Sophie Fund’s work over the past 12 months:
Town Hall on Suicide Prevention. The Sophie Fund co-organized and provided a grant for “How Healthcare Helps Prevent Suicides,” a community Town Hall on the Zero Suicide Model for healthcare.
Suicide Prevention Training. We provided a grant to enable 82 local healthcare professionals—including the entire clinical staff at Cornell University’s Counseling and Psychological Services unit—to attend a two-day online training in youth suicide prevention featuring some of the nation’s leading experts hosted by The Wellness Institute.
Suicide Prevention in Primary Care. We collaborated with Cayuga Health and the Tompkins County Suicide Prevention Coalition to develop a future education program in suicide prevention for 40 primary care and specialty care practices.
New York State Suicide Prevention Center. We were appointed to serve on the Oversight Board for a $3.5 million Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant to implement the Zero Suicide model in Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) in New York State.
Tompkins County Bullying Prevention Task Force. In October 2023, the task force, which we serve as task force coordinator, organized its second annual United in Kindness series of community events and activities to raise awareness about bullying and domestic abuse and promote kindness and empathy; the task force also distributes to local school districts an annual guide to bullying prevention resources and activities.
Ithaca Cupcake Baking Contest. We hosted the 8th annual contest in the Ithaca Commons. The contest brings together college and high school students, mental health providers, local musicians, business sponsors, and the general public to raise awareness about mental health.
Cupcake Button Campaign. The Sophie Fund’s 2023 “Cupcake Button” fundraising campaign with local college students collected $1,043.78 for the Greg Eells Memorial Fund at Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca.
Education and Resources. The Sophie Fund published online guides including Mental Health Support and Crisis Services; A Parents Guide to College Student Mental Health; and a sexual assault prevention flyer called Be Safe at College!
Compassion Corner: Nurturing the Nurturers. We provided a grant to the Human Services Coalition for a peer-support program benefiting direct human service providers.
“How I See Myself.” The Sophie Fund provided a grant to the Mental Health Association for an art exhibition featuring young artists exploring inner feelings of identity.
Story Walk. We provided a grant to the Family Reading Partnership for a community event providing free books to young readers.
Better Together for Mental Health. In conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Month, we participated in this annual Ithaca community event and sponsored bus shelter posters and radio public service announcements saluting and celebrating the local mental health workforce.
Youth Mental Health Policy. New York Governor Kathy Hochul invited The Sophie Fund to participate in a virtual roundtable discussion about youth mental health and the effects of social media.
Agda Osborn Award. Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca presented The Sophie Fund with the 2024 Agda Osborn Award for community service.
James J. Byrnes Award for Excellence. Tompkins Community Bank honored The Sophie Fund with the James J. Byrnes Award for Excellence recognizing “all of the great volunteer work and dedication The Sophie Fund gives to our community.”
For more information on The Sophie Fund’s work, please visit:
Thank You!
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