Events & News!
Save the Date:
Share Your Light 2026!
My Friend Abby has some exciting news! Please SAVE THE DATE for our annual Share Your Light event, Friday, October 23rd, from 7:00–10:00 PM at Two Roads Brewery in Stratford, CT. We are honored to welcome Sergeant Kevin Briggs as our special guest speaker!
Known as the "Guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge," Sgt. Briggs is a retired California Highway Patrol officer who helped save more than 200 individuals from suicide through compassion, connection, and active listening. A TEDx speaker and author of Guardian of the Golden Gate: Protecting the Line Between Hope and Despair, he now shares his inspiring message of hope, resilience, and the power of human connection with audiences around the world.
Share Your Light is My Friend Abby’s largest fundraising event of the year, supporting our work in youth and young adult suicide prevention. Your generosity helps us foster peer-to-peer connections through our Peer Project Grants and Community Projects, strengthening mental and emotional health and bringing hope, support, and awareness to those who need it most.
Join us for an evening of live music, inspiring speakers, an amazing silent auction, delicious food, and wonderful company!
Interested in event sponsorship or questions about ticket purchases? Please email gillian@myfriendabby.org
Shining Together for Suicide Prevention 2026
In hard times, we lean on each other.
The power of community reminds us we’re never alone.
Together, we heal. Together, we shine.
Please join us for “Shining Together for Suicide Prevention” THURSDAY, September 10th, 2026 at 6:00 PM at the Trumbull Town Hall Green.
Let’s honor World Suicide Prevention Day and remember those we’ve lost, together.
“We Matter Here: Belonging and Community as Suicide Prevention” Conference
Gillian was featured on a panel this week called “We Matter Here: Belonging and Community as Suicide Prevention”. The conference, hosted by the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board (CTSAB), brought together professionals, advocates, and community members for a day of learning and collaboration.
Picture L to R
Dr. Keven McNeill, President and founder of Quiet Corner Peer Support Group (QCPS) with Hope, the therapy dog; Lorena Mitchell New Haven Coordinator for Community Mental Health Initiatives, City of New Haven; Rev Odell Cooper, President of Interruptions: Disrupting the Silence; Gillian Anderson, founder of My Friend Abby Inc.
Gillian on Melissa in the Morning WICC Radio. Why youth and young adult suicide prevention and peer to peer connections matter!
🍀Pastor Plunge 2026🍀
A beautiful and “warm” day all around at Pinewood Lake…and another powerful reminder of what community can do when we come together for a cause that matters.
Thank you to everyone who donated, showed up, and cheered on the brave plungers at the St. Paddy’s Day Pastor’s Plunge in support of My Friend Abby. Your energy and support help keep the conversation going around youth and young adult suicide prevention.
Special thanks to Pastors Tim and Todd, along with the many fearless participants who took the very icy dip! This year we were also excited to welcome some incredible new teams who joined the plunge!
We’re grateful to Masonicare and McDonald’s for generously donating food for our participants, and a heartfelt thank you to Trumbull EMS and the Trumbull Police Dive Team for their kind presence and support helping keep everyone safe.
It was an amazing crowd, a lot of fun, and a meaningful way to support the mission of My Friend Abby.
From the bottom of our hearts—thank you for helping make a difference.
We Celebrate Six Years!
My Friend Abby is celebrating our six-year anniversary!
Young people matter—especially when it comes to mental health.
We see the effort. We see the courage. We see YOU.
To every youth and young adult who shows up, supports friends, and uses their voice: thank you. And thank YOU for helping us celebrate our six-year anniversary.
Together, we’re building connection, breaking stigma, and strengthening suicide prevention—one real conversation at a time.
Showing up matters. And you matter.
MFA Club at Trumbull High
Huge thanks to the My Friend Abby Club and Mrs. Brown, Club Advisor at Trumbull High School!
Helping others in a big way and taking time to connect.
We got together to sign New Year’s cards for our supporters — relaxed, meaningful, and all about showing appreciation.
We also made space to talk about the different stressors that come up this time of year. Peer to peer. Heart to heart.
Jessenia in Concert!
Abby’s friend Jessenia held a concert in New York where 100% of proceeds went to MFA!
“I wanted to bring my community of musicians together to use our voices to make a greater impact. I couldn’t think of a better way to give back to My Friend Abby. Abby was someone in my life who fiercely supported my passion for music, so I know she would have been there cheering everyone on.”
Jes put on a curated lineup show with over 20 performers at Young Ethel’s in Park Slope, Brooklyn, to not only celebrate the holidays but also celebrate the year of dedication to live music and support for one another.
Thanks so much Jes for your constant love and support!
Thank You for Sharing Your Light!
What a night! Friday was packed with love, laughter, stories, and hope—and you made it shine.
Together, we created a space full of connection and courage, where everyone could show up just as they are. That energy, that light, is what keeps our mission moving forward.
Huge thanks to everyone who came, supported, shared, and helped make the night unforgettable. You’re proof that when we come together, incredible things happen.
A heartfelt thank you to our incredible speakers, sponsors, donors, and volunteers! Because of you, we had a night filled with connection, purpose, and joy. What a fun and important evening — we’re so grateful for you!
Share Your Light 2025!
Join us for an inspiring evening with guest speaker actress and author Stephanie Szostak, plus food, friends, and an amazing silent auction — all in support of My Friend Abby!
Your support makes our upcoming Share Your Light event possible and shows how deeply you understand our mission to empower youth and young adults to take action in suicide prevention and mental health awareness. Together, we’re shining a light on hope and healing.
Friday, October 24 | 7–10 PM
Two Roads Brewery, Stratford, CT
Thank you to our generous sponsors!
Shining Together: A Heartfelt Thank You
On Sunday, September 7th, our community came together for My Friend Abby’s 5th Annual Shining Together for Suicide Prevention event. What an incredible evening of connection, reflection, and hope.
From the inspiring words of our guest speakers, to the moving luminary messages, to the quiet strength of our candlelight moment of silence — every part of the evening reminded us of the power of community. Together, we honored loved ones, lifted each other up, and shined a light on the importance of mental health and suicide prevention.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who joined us — whether you shared your story, decorated a luminary, or simply stood beside us in solidarity. Your presence made this gathering not only meaningful, but healing.
To our community partners, volunteers, and all who supported this event: thank you for helping us create a space filled with compassion, courage, and hope. This is what “Shining Together” truly means.
Let’s carry that light forward — for ourselves, for each other, and for a future where every person knows they are not alone.
With gratitude,
The My Friend Abby Team
Shining Together for Suicide Prevention
In hard times, we lean on each other.
The power of community reminds us we’re never alone.
Together, we heal. Together, we shine.
Please join us for “Shining Together for Suicide Prevention” THIS SUNDAY, September 7th, 2025 at 6:00 PM at the Trumbull Town Hall Green.
Let’s honor World Suicide Prevention Day and remember those we’ve lost, together.
🌎💚 Earth Week Walk 💚🌎
Our outstanding My Friend Abby volunteers celebrated by placing positive affirmation rocks and embracing the beauty of nature! ✨🍃
Spending time outside isn’t just good for the planet — it’s powerful for your mind too. 🌿 It can zap away stress, anxiety, and the blues. 🌞We also had great conversations about our mental health!
This Earth Week, we’re spreading positive vibes for you and for Mother Earth. 🌍🪨
Take a breath, take a walk, and remember: you are strong, you are loved, and you are part of something beautiful. 💖🌳 Thank you so much to Angela Hare and her class and the amazing @withlovetherockfairy for providing the beautifully decorated rocks!
⭐️ Thrive Year One Success! ⭐️
Presented by My Friend Abby and TPAUD Trumbull’s Prevention Partnership, this event brought students, parents, and community members together to learn how to better support the transition from high school to college.
A huge thank you to Dr. James Geisler and his team for leading a powerful conversation around the academic, social, and emotional shifts young adults face. Using his workbook Thrive Year One: The Essential Mental Health Workbook for First-Year College Students, Dr. Geisler offered practical tools for building connection, setting boundaries, and asking for help.
The more we prepare students for this next chapter, the more confident and equipped they’ll be to face it.
Thank you to everyone who showed up, asked questions, and joined in this important conversation—we’re grateful for you.
More Than Just a Game
MFA had the incredible opportunity to attend a fun and energetic game at the Shelton Rinks, featuring the talented Trumbull Eagles and Branford Hornets!
But this event was more than just a game—it was a powerful platform to advocate for mental health awareness and remind athletes of the importance of checking in with those around them.
We were honored to stand alongside Shouldercheck, an amazing organization dedicated to promoting mental health in sports and supporting athletes both on and off the ice.
🍀Pastor Plunge 2025🍀
A huge round of applause for our incredible community that always comes together for a great cause! 🍀 We’re beyond grateful to everyone who donated and came out to cheer on the brave souls who took the plunge at the St. Paddy’s Day Pastor’s Plunge at Pinewood Lake yesterday—all in support of My Friend Abby.
Special thanks to Pastors Tim and Todd, along with the many other fearless participants, for taking an icy dip to raise awareness for youth and young adult suicide prevention. ❄️💙 Your support means the world, and this event was a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish together. It was a great crowd and so much fun; thanks also to McDonalds for providing Shamrock shakes and burgers for all plungers!
From the bottom of our hearts—thank you for making a difference! 💚✨
MFA at the Shelton Rinks: Advocating for Mental Health Awareness
MFA had an amazing time at the Shelton Rinks, cheering on the talented THS Hockey Players as they faced off against their opponents in an exciting and high-energy game! But this event was about more than just hockey—it served as a powerful reminder of the importance of mental health awareness, especially within the athletic community.
We were proud to partner with Shouldercheck, an incredible organization dedicated to promoting mental health in sports and supporting athletes both on and off the ice. Together, we emphasized the importance of checking in with those around us and fostering a culture of care and connection.
A huge thank you to everyone who made this event possible! Your efforts inspire us to continue breaking the stigma, building supportive communities, and ensuring no one ever feels alone.
Connecting With Our Community…
A huge thank you to our volunteers Theresa and Veronica; Autumn and
Dylan from Redline Graphics; the talented Big Shrimp band, and to everyone who came out to Roadrunner Kitchen + Bar in Black Rock to support this fun event benefiting MFA!
MFA Club At Trumbull High School!
Thank you to our MFA young adults, volunteers and new MFA Club members from Trumbull High School who helped out at TPAUD Trumbull’s Prevention Partnership’s Freshman Forum!
Share Your Light 2024
We are so thankful for all of your support!
Our fundraiser on October 25th at Two Roads Brewery was an unforgettable evening thanks to our incredible volunteers, sponsors, silent auction donors, guest speakers, and guests for helping make this year’s Share Your Light event a success in supporting youth and young adult suicide prevention.
The event was truly memorable, filled with inspiring stories and meaningful connections that will have lasting ripple effects.
Our guest speakers shared their personal stories and insights, each shedding light on the importance of vulnerability, resilience, and community support in navigating mental health. Their powerful messages underscored how essential it is to create spaces for open dialogue about mental well-being.
We are also immensely grateful to The Original Vazzy's and Claire's Corner Copia for the delicious, donated food, and to Two Roads Brewery for generously opening their space to host this special event!
Thank you to our incredible sponsors for being an integral part of our mission. Your partnership strengthens our efforts to bring hope and support to those who need it most. Together, we’re building a brighter, more resilient community. We couldn’t do this without you!
Shining Together For Suicide Prevention
On September 10, 2024, we hosted a powerful event in honor of World Suicide Prevention Day.
The triennial theme for World Suicide Prevention Day for 2024-2026 is "Changing the Narrative on Suicide" with the call to action "Start the Conversation". This theme aims to raise awareness about the importance of reducing stigma and encouraging open conversations to prevent suicides. Changing the narrative on suicide is about transforming how we perceive this complex issue and shifting from a culture of silence and stigma to one of openness, understanding, and support.
Attendees came together to create hope through action, hearing from inspiring guest speakers and participating in our first-ever walk, symbolizing unity in the fight against suicide. A special addition this year was the opportunity to write messages or names on luminaries, which served as heartfelt tributes to those affected by suicide and as beacons of hope for prevention.
The evening concluded with talks from those who have experienced loss and mental health struggles, along with a moment of silence, and a candle lighting.
This event and the stories that have been and will continue to be shared reinforce our commitment to raising awareness, particularly in light of the alarming increase in youth and young adult suicides.
Thank you to our community partners!
Click the image below to check out our event in the CTPost!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Pastor Plunge 2024! The pastors, Rev. Tim Hare of Trumbull Congregational Church and Rev. Todd Shipley of Unity Hill United Church of Christ, braved the chilly waters of Pinewood Lake in support of the mental health and suicide prevention mission of My Friend Abby, Inc.
Reverends Tim and Todd were joined by several other resilient individuals, including members
of the Trumbull High School wrestling team, all of whom survived the icy plunge to enjoy a
Shamrock Shake afterward!
My Friend Abby appreciates the support of the Reverends, and all of the participants and contributors to Pastor Plunge 2024. We hope to see you again next year!
We are very grateful to all of you!
My Friend Abby sends out so much love and gratitude and special thanks to all of our volunteers, sponsors, silent auction donors, guest speakers and guests for sharing your light to support youth and young adult suicide prevention.
Our fundraiser on Friday at Two Roads Brewery was a heartwarming evening featuring Olympic Gold Medalist Samantha Livingstone, Lorena Sferlazza, and Linda Kwong, sharing their own experiences about mental health and how important it is to talk about the way we feel. Special thanks also to The Original Vazzy's and Claire's Corner Copia for the delicious, donated food, and Black Rock Fire and Jes Nieves for rocking it! There are so many more people to thank and so many more photos to share -- we, again, thank you all from the bottom of our heart!
We want to inspire a mental health revolution one friend at a time, and it's gatherings like these where you can feel the love, caring, resiliency and hope for our youth and young adults!
2023
Trumbull Vigil Honors Those Who’ve Died By Suicide…
The second annual “A Night to Shine Your Light” took place Friday, Sept. 9, 2022 at the Trumbull Town Hall Gazebo on Churchill Road. The event was in honor of World Suicide Prevention Day, which was on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. The vigil included a candle-lighting ceremony, the ringing of a memory bell and a moment of silence to remember those affected by suicide. Karen Frissora / Contributed photo
Trumbull Campaign Spreads Sunshine for Mental Health
“Spreading Sunshine” - a fundraiser for Friend Abby, Inc., the Trumbull-based not-for-profit organization awarding grants to youth and young adults taking action to promote mental and emotional health and suicide prevention - is back. Throughout April and May 2022, volunteers will be spreading sunshine by delivering a decorative burst of lawn signs for a donation of $25 or more.
Get Real Conversations
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Melissa Bernstein, co-founder of international toy company Melissa & Doug, discusses her journey with depression and the life-long writing of her new book, “Lifelines.” Melissa shares her story of being a survivor of existential depression, and answers viewer questions. Video courtesy of Trumbull Community Television.
Dante Duval Barfield
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MFA in the Media
As a family therapist for over 20 years, Jodi shows you how to heal from your past and build robust emotional resilience, especially through difficult times. She teaches teens, parents and couples how to release fear, embrace radical self-compassion, connect with their agency, and expand their consciousness. As an anxiety-survivor, she totally gets it. As a mom of teens, she double-dog gets it.
Jodi and Gillian discuss anxiety and how you can cope with stress and find your way to happiness…
