Archive: Around Town

The Sophie Fund presented a donation check for $829.50 to the Suicide Prevention & Crisis Service (SPCS) of Ithaca. Cornell University's Alpha Phi Omega Gamma Chapter and Active Minds at Ithaca College raised the funds in The Sophie Fund's "cupcake button" campaign last fall.

Both student organizations set up fundraising tables on their campuses as well as at GreenStar Natural Food Market's stores in the West End and Collegetown. The Sophie Fund selected SPCS to be the recipient of monies collected in the 2017 cupcake button campaign.

"We sincerely thank Alpha Phi Omega and Active Minds, as well as all the many people who made generous donations, for supporting the cause of suicide prevention in Tompkins County," said Scott MacLeod, an officer of The Sophie Fund.

Alpha Phi Omega President Winnie Ho handed over the donation check in a brief ceremony on Wednesday January 24 to SPCS Executive Director Lee-Ellen Marvin. "As college students who have the privilege to interact with so many different organizations across our campus and in our local community, we have had the chance to see how critical it is that mental health and wellness is supported on every level," said Ho.

"The partnership between Alpha Phi Omega Gamma Chapter and The Sophie Fund is the result of a dedication to improving mental health on collegiate campuses. We are thrilled to be working with incredible organizations such as Ithaca Suicide Prevention & Crisis Services who have done so much for students and community members. There is important work still left to be done to support our peers, but we are optimistic about the future of this collaboration."

Makai Andrews, co-president of Ithaca College's Active Minds chapter, led the Active Minds effort. "We wanted to participate in the button selling as a means to increase mental health visibility in the Ithaca area and reduce the stigma surrounding these situations," said Andrews. "We were happy to serve as examples of college-aged students who have struggled with our mental health and spoke with many interesting people in the community about what changes they would like to see in how we talk about mental health."

Receiving the donation, SPCS's Marvin commented: "Gifts like these always give us a lift, helping us continue the work we do by reminding us that the community cares. The staff, board, and volunteers of Suicide Prevention & Crisis Service are grateful for this donation because we know that it represents a big effort by student members of Alpha Phi Omega at Cornell and Active Minds at Ithaca College." SPRC operates Crisisline, offering free and confidential crisis counseling, staffed 365 days a year by trained volunteers who respond to calls from Tompkins County and across the 607 area code. It also provides "The Chat," an Internet chat service for young people who are reluctant to talk on the telephone. It is also a founding member of the Tompkins County Suicide Prevention Coalition established last July.

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