Tompkins County

They Walk for Mental Health

thesophiefund

Nearly 200 mental health champions participated in the annual fundraising walk for the Finger Lakes affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) at Ithaca’s Stewart Park on May 3, surpassing the organization’s $50,000 goal for NAMI’s support and education programs.

NAMI Finger Lakes Executive Director Sandra Sorensen and friend lead the way

Thirty-eight teams and countless individuals participated in the local NAMIWalks event this year, led by Bouyant Punk which collected $6,213, Together We Walk with another $4,619, and Team Archer with $3,338. Other teams hitting the $2,000 mark included PhenomiNAMInal with $2,495, Ithacares $2,461, and Deb’s Team $2,200.

David Archer was the No. 1 individual fundraiser, with $3,288. Other top individual fundraisers included: Sandra Sorensen (NAMI Finger Lakes executive director), Jae Sullivan, Meggin Rose, Bon Chiang, Jason Hungerford, Joni Spielholz, Howard Reid, Helen Ann Yunis, and Mollie Kristof.

Click here to DONATE

NAMIWalks fundraising continues online

The event’s keynote speaker was Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo, who thanked NAMI for helping fight the social stigma around mental health.

“Those of you who know me who have heard me speak at events like this before know that I’m very open about my own mental health challenges,” Cantelmo said. “I live with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. One of the most important things we can do, in addition to raising awareness, is trying to work a little harder to destigmatize mental health challenges.”

“There’s an enormous number of folks who live with them. It’s not always easy to get out of bed in the morning, but we have to make that choice every day. We have to support our loved ones and they have to do the same. I’m just so grateful. Your city is behind you, really supportive of you being out here today, doing everything you’re doing.”

Another speaker was Serena Exantus, coordinator of NAMI’s Sharing Hope program, which is designed to bring mental wellness, conversation, and an open space for the Black community.

“The reason why I got involved in this initiative is because while I was very passionate about mental health, there was a gap in the community. As people who are navigating mental wellness, we need people who look like us and understand us and where we can relate to them. And that’s what’s so great about NAMI, that they create programs that meet people where they are.”

The event involved a 1-mile walk, a 5K “fun run,” games in the Kids Zone, massages by Attuned Life, snacks, and music by DJ Anthony. NAMI and other local mental health organizations staffed information tables sharing mental health resources available in the local community.

This year’s walk included a raffle of locally donated items: massages, gift certificates for local restaurants, wine, gift baskets, Science Center tickets, Strong Museum passes, New York Mets tickets, and sporting paraphernalia from local teams. 

NAMI Finger Lakes offers an array of peer-led programs that provide free education, skills training, and support for family members, caregivers, and loved ones of individuals living with mental illness.

It operates a HelpLine where experienced volunteers answer calls for support and mental health resources. The number is (607) 252-6264.

According to NAMI Finger Lakes Program Manager Jason Hungerford, donations have enabled the organization to expand its programming and make a major impact over the past year. For example, NAMI has offered additional Family-to-Family mental health education classes, the Sharing Hope conversation series, and training for 60 additional first responders in NAMI’s Overwatch Peer Support.

Hungerford said that the chapter aided some 290 individuals through three unique support groups that meet twice a month. The organization has also reached more than 1,300 students and community members through mental health education and awareness presentations like Ending the Silence.

Sponsors of the 2026 NAMIWalks included Segal & Sorensen, Cayuga Health, Tompkins Community Bank, Wegmans, Cornell University, Guthrie, Cayuga Landscape, Excellus, del Lago Resort & Casino, Beginnings Credit Union, Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival, Howard Hanna, and Copper House Coffee.

NAMI Finger Lakes is one of some 600 local affiliates of the national organization, a grassroots mental health organization founded in 1979 dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI says its mission is to educate, support, advocate, listen and lead to improve the lives of people with mental illness and their loved ones.

Here’s to Mental Health Awareness Month!

thesophiefund

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, promoting a cause that is dear to Ithaca Beer Co. and The Sophie Fund. The two organizations are partnering this year to highlight the many mental health information and treatment resources that are available in Tompkins County.

Zach McGovern and Valerie Consiglio-Nickerson, Taproom managers at Ithaca Beer

Throughout the month, Ithaca Beer will provide its customers with a resource card listing local providers for psychotherapy and psychiatry, addiction counseling, support groups, peer counseling, and sexual violence support.

The card’s flip side contains 5 Simple Steps, a brief safety plan that can help prevent an immediate mental health challenge from escalating. With the card’s QR code, users can download the resources to their smart phones.

“Mental health is a fundamental aspect of overall health, and is too often ignored, under supported, and stigmatized,” said Jess Mitchell, Ithaca Beer Co. director of operations. “We welcome hundreds of visitors monthly, giving us the platform to reach our community widely. We are committed to doing our part to connect people with the resources they need.”

In addition to the resource cards, Ithaca Beer will be hosting informational mental health presentations by the Finger Lakes chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Suicide Prevention & Crisis Service of Tompkins County.

Ithaca Beer and The Sophie Fund are also running a mental health awareness campaign on social media, pointing to local resources, breaking the stigma around mental health, and encouraging anyone who is struggling to reach out for help.

The organizations, along with Better Together for Mental Health, will host a special Mental Health Awareness Month gathering for local mental health workers honoring their dedication and impact. The event will take place at Ithaca Beer on May 28.

Scott MacLeod, co-founder of The Sophie Fund, expressed gratitude for Ithaca Beer’s effort to promote mental health in the community.

“Stigma remains an obstacle that prevents many people who are struggling from acknowledging they need help or actually reaching out to loved ones or professionals for support,” he said.

“When a high-profile company like Ithaca Beer steps up to actively help normalize talking about mental health, it makes all the difference. Nobody should suffer in silence when help is available.”

DOWNLOAD Mental Health Support and Crisis Services 2026

PDF Shareable PNGs Page 1 Page 2

DOWNLOAD 5 Simple Steps PDF Shareable PNG

Walk (or Run) the NAMIWalk on May 3!

thesophiefund

If it’s May, that means it’s Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to celebrate and honor the providers, caregivers, educators, advocates, and other dedicated souls who aid mental health and wellness in our community.

More than 250 mental health champions including 50 teams and countless individuals will participate in the annual NAMIWalk fundraiser for the Finger Lakes chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). It takes place at the Large Pavilion in Ithaca’s Stewart Park on May 3 from 1-4 p.m. This year’s goal is to raise $50,000.

2024 NAMIWalk in Stewart Park

Click here to be a sponsor, become a fundraiser, donate to a team, or sign up to join the NAMIWalk

The event is an occasion for those affected by mental health to share community and draw strength from solidarity. Despite the serious subject matter, the annual NAMIWalk is a joyful event.

The event includes a 1-mile walk, a 5K “fun run,” games in the Kids Zone, massages by Attuned Life, snacks, and music by DJ Anthony. NAMI and other local mental health organizations staff information tables sharing resources available in the local community.

This year’s walk includes a raffle of locally donated items, which include: massages, gift certificates for local restaurants, wine, gift baskets, Science Center tickets, Strong Museum passes, New York Mets tickets, and sporting paraphernalia from local teams. 

“The most meaningful part of bringing people together for a common cause is the sharing of stories. Being vulnerable and open connects people who are experiencing similar hardships, making us feel less alone,” said Sandra Sorensen, NAMI Finger Lakes executive director.

Sorensen, who lost her husband Michael to suicide, said that while raising funds is crucial for NAMI programs, NAMIWalk’s real success is making a huge statement about fighting the stigma that prevents many from seeking help.

“The cause is really near and dear to my heart, as I have a lot of lived experience caregiving for people who have mental health issues. My Michael did not feel safe in talking about or receiving the help he needed for his bipolar disorder because he feared stigma, shame, and professional ramifications,” she said.

The NAMIWalk funds programs such as peer-led support groups for family members, caregivers and loved ones of individuals living with mental illness. NAMI operates a HelpLine where experienced volunteers answer calls for support and mental health resources. The number is (607 252-6264).

“NAMIWalks is one of our most important events of the year, helping us raise both awareness and critical funding to keep all of our education and support programs free to the community,” said NAMI Finger Lakes Program Manager Jason Hungerford.

He said that donations have enabled the organization to expand its programming and make a major impact over the past year. For example, he said, NAMI has offered additional Family-to-Family mental health education classes, a Sharing Hope conversation series for people who identify as Black or of African ancestry, and training of 60 additional first responders in NAMI’s Overwatch Peer Support.

Hungerford said that NAMI Finger Lakes aided some 290 individuals through three unique support groups that meet twice a month. The organization has also reached more than 1,300 students and community members through mental health education and awareness presentations like Ending the Silence.

Sponsors of the 2026 NAMIWalk include Segal & Sorensen, Cayuga Health, Tompkins Community Bank, Wegmans, Cornell University, Guthrie, Cayuga Landscape, Excellus, del Lago Resort & Casino, Beginnings Credit Union, Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival, Howard Hanna, and Copper House Coffee.

NAMI Finger Lakes is one of some 600 local affiliates of the national organization, a grassroots mental health organization founded in 1979 dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI says its mission is to educate, support, advocate, listen and lead to improve the lives of people with mental illness and their loved ones.

Are Tompkins Teens OK?

thesophiefund

Almost one-third of middle and high school students surveyed in Tompkins County said they feel depressed or sad on most days and more than a quarter said that “sometimes I think life is not worth it.” Many Tompkins youth also feel that they are a “failure” and “no good at all.”

The Community-Level Youth Development Evaluation (CLYDE) surveyed 3,879 students in grades 7-12 in Tompkins County’s six school districts in October 2025 on behavior issues including mental health, bullying, and alcohol, drug, marijuana, tobacco, and vaping use.

The survey was organized by the Community Coalition for Healthy Youth, which represents agencies, schools, government, businesses, families, and concerned citizens in Tompkins County. Detailed results can be viewed on the Youth Development Dashboard for Tompkins County, which was updated to reflect the 2025 CLYDE survey results.

In responding to the question, “In the past year, have you felt depressed or sad MOST days, even if you felt okay sometimes?,” 32 percent of the CLYDE survey respondents answered “Yes.” That compared with 35.4 percent who responded that way in the 2023 survey.

Among 12th graders, 33.3 percent answered “yes,” a significant decline from 39.4 percent two years earlier.

In responding to the question, “In the past year, have you felt anxious or worried MOST days, even if you felt okay sometimes?,” 43.8 percent of respondents answered “Yes.” That compared with the 47 percent who answered that way in the 2023 survey.

Looking for help? DOWNLOAD the 2026 Mental Health Support and Crisis Services guide for Tompkins County

In positive news, the 2025 survey results generally signaled improvements in the mental health measures since the 2023 and 2021 CLYDE surveys.

According to the 2025 survey, 27.9 percent of Tompkins 7-12 students said that “sometimes I think that life is not worth it,” compared to 33.4 percent in 2023; 38.2 percent agreed with the statement that “at times I think I am no good at all,” down from 44 percent two years earlier; and 25.2 percent said they “are inclined to think that I am a failure,” compared to 29 percent in 2023.

Still, the rates represented an increase over levels in a Tompkins survey a decade ago. In 2012, the percentage of surveyed students reporting depression or sadness was 28.7 percent; 21.3 percent of students felt life was not worth it.

The Tompkins survey included a question about suicide for the first time. The results showed that 10.9 percent of respondents said they were “experiencing thoughts of suicide,” with the percentages staying fairly constant across 7th through 12th grades.

As with the previous CLYDE survey in 2021, there were sharp variances by gender, race, and ethnicity.

A notable trend in the mental health survey results was that students identifying as an “other gender identity”—such as transgender and nonbinary—and Black girls were almost twice as likely as their peers to report depression and hopelessness.

According to the survey, 59.8 percent of those identifying as “other gender identity,” 48.1 percent of Black girls, 39.7 percent of all Black youth, 38.8 percent of all girls, and 39.8 percent of Hispanic/Latino youth signaled depression or sadness; compared to 22.7 percent of all boys.

The survey showed that 63.4 percent of all other gender identities, 33.9 percent of Black girls, 30.1 percent of all Black youth, and 33.3 percent of Hispanic/Latino youth had felt life was not worth it; compared to 18.6 percent of all boys.

Similarly, 74 percent of all other gender identities, 50.4 percent of Black girls, 40.1 percent of all Black youth, and 44.8 percent of Hispanic/Latino youth felt they were not good at all; compared to 27.5 percent of all boys.

About a quarter of students reported being bullied, with the greatest prevalence occurring in middle school grades. Overall, 27.9 percent of students said they were bullied at school; 20.2 percent bullied outside school; and 18.2 percent bullied electronically.

Whereas the percentages of seniors reporting being bullied in the three categories were 18.1 percent, 13.9 percent, and 16.1 percent, respectively, the extent of bullying was much higher for 7th and 8th graders. The survey results said that 33.5 percent, 24.1 percent, and 17.7 percent of 7th graders reported bulling at school, outside school, and electronically, respectively.

The results showed little change in bullying behavior since the previous CLYDE survey two years earlier, when 27.7 percent, 20.8 percent, and 20.4 percent of students said they were bullied at school, outside school, and electronically, respectively.

The CLYDE survey recorded other behavior traits such as prevalence of alcohol and drug use. It found that 26.6 percent of 7-12 grade students had consumed alcoholic beverages, with the figure rising to 50.8 percent among 12th graders. The survey results said that 13.1 percent of students reported consuming alcohol in the previous 30 days; 29.5 percent of 12th graders reported usage during this period.

Just 12.7 percent of respondents said they had used marijuana, although the figure was almost triple that at 33.4 percent for high school seniors.

The survey said that 4.1 percent reported use of opiate pain relievers without a doctor’s orders. There was virtually no reporting of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, or hallucinogens use.

The survey showed that 8.8 percent of students had smoked a cigarette, but only 3.6 percent had done so in the past 30 days. Seniors’ lifetime use was 20 percent, with 9.1 percent saying they had smoked in the past month.

The figures were higher for vaping. Overall, 12.5 percent of students said they had smoked nicotine e-cigarettes, including 6.6 percent in the past 30 days. For 12th graders, it was 25.2 percent and 13.4 percent, respectively. The survey found that 10.5 percent of students had vaped using marijuana, 5.1 percent in the past month. For seniors, it was 25.3 percent and 11.8 percent, respectively.

The survey identified youth risk factors, including low commitment to school, family conflict, favorable attitudes toward antisocial behavior, and favorable parental attitudes toward drug use. Protective factors included social skills, opportunities and rewards for prosocial involvement, family attachment, and belief in the moral order.

DOWNLOAD Tompkins County CLYDE Survey 2025 Report

DOWNLOAD Tompkins County CLYDE 2025 Cross-Tabulation Report

According to survey developer Catalyst Insight, LLC, its surveys collect current data on youth substance use prevalence, developmental risk and protective factors, and other key community characteristics. It says that the results are intended to be used for community assessment, coalition and community capacity building, program planning, and evaluation purposes. The data gathered through CLYDE can be leveraged to change norms and practices that will improve overall community health over time, it says.

The CLYDE mental health findings compared favorably with the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2013-2023 issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the CDC survey of students in grades 9-12, 40 percent of American high schoolers reported “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” in the previous 12 months.

The CLYDE survey did not include questions about sexual violence. The CDC survey found declines in sexual assault against teen girls. The survey found that in 2023, 13 percent of girls reported being forced to have sexual intercourse, compared to 14 percent in 2021.

If you or someone you know feels the need to speak with a mental health professional, you can call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741.

Supporting Newcomers to Ithaca

thesophiefund

The Sophie Fund’s 2025 “Cupcake Button” fundraising campaign collected $1,119.00 for the Ithaca Welcomes Refugees (IWR) organization. The campaign was spearheaded by several Cornell University student organizations: RISEUP Cornell; Cornell Circle K; Pre-Professional Association Towards Careers in Health (PATCH); Alpha Phi Omega Gamma Chapter, and Hotel Graduate Student Organization. Student leaders presented the donation check to IWR Executive Director Casey Verderosa at a luncheon at the Statler Hotel on February 20.

IWR Executive Director Casey Verderosa receives the “Cupcake Button” fundraising check

“RISEUP volunteered to support IWR because any help towards organizations that support refugees is crucial in this current political climate,” said Harmony Guan, RISEUP’s mental health committee lead.

“It is a great cause and a way to get the community together to collectively support and spread awareness,” she added. RISEUP stands for Realizing Integration, Support, and Education for Underserved Populations.

Click here to make a donation to Ithaca Welcomes Refugees

“We really appreciate everything that you all are doing,” Verderosa told the gathering. “Thank you for highlighting this issue and giving it attention. It’s really needed at this time.”

In the past 10 years, Verderosa said, IWR has aided more than 250 refugees from more than 15 countries. The organization helps them find housing and provides them with furniture collected in donation drives, linens and other housewares, and a two-week supply of basic groceries.

IWR operates “response projects” to assist refugees in their self-stated resettlement goals, most commonly finding jobs, enrolling children in school, taking English classes and driving lessons, and locating medical care.

IWR runs the Global Roots Play School to provide a nurturing environment for preschool age children while caregivers work, go to English classes, and perform other resettlement tasks.

IWR was established in December 2015 as an all-volunteer organization responding to the global displacement crisis in support of Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga, a federally designated refugee resettlement agency. IWR then increased its operations in 2021 after Catholic Charities closed its resettlement effort due to reduced refugee flows during the first Trump administration and the Covid-19 pandemic.

IWR holds new volunteer orientation sessions two to three times per year for needs ranging from supporting home move-ins, organizing donations drives, driving and/or accompanying newcomers to appointments, childcare, and interpreting. Volunteers are also sought for helping with events, communications, and fundraising.

Volunteer with IWR: Fill out an online form here and be contacted about future orientation sessions.

Donate items to IWR: Contact IWR donations team at welcome.home@ithacawelcomesrefugees.org.

Cornell students supporting Ithaca Welcomes Refugees

Scott MacLeod, co-founder of The Sophie Fund, thanked Verderosa for IWR’s work and expressed appreciation for the student organizations’ efforts to support IWR’s mission.

“The federal government’s crackdown on immigration has created fear and anxiety even for people who are legally in the United States,” said MacLeod. “Ithaca Welcomes Refugees provides practical support to new arrivals, but just as important it sends them a message of solidarity and compassion. Acts of kindness large and small benefit the mental health of the greater community.”

The Sophie Fund organizes the Cupcake Button campaign and the related Annual Ithaca Cupcake Baking Contest each fall to promote mental health awareness and raise monies for local nonprofits supporting community mental health. Donors receive a Cupcake Button featuring the image of a cupcake created by Sophie Hack MacLeod, a Cornell art student who died by suicide in 2016 for whom The Sophie Fund is named.

Since 2017, the Cupcake Button campaigns have raised a total of $8,786.66 for nine local nonprofits supporting mental health: Suicide Prevention & Crisis Service of Tompkins County; Mental Health Association in Tompkins County; Advocacy Center of Tompkins County; the Village at Ithaca; The Learning Web; NAMI-Finger Lakes; Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca; Ithaca Free Clinic; and Ithaca Welcomes Refugees.