🍀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. 

Connection, Powered by Peers!

My Friend Abby’s “Shining Light and Love On You” community project was all about showing up for residents in local elder care communities—all thanks to the hard-working students and the care behind their thoughtful messages.

More than 50 students came together with one shared goal: to bring positive affirmations and kindness to older adults who may sometimes feel overlooked. Through handwritten postcards, decorating wooden heart ornaments, and assembling gift bags with donated Bigelow tea bags, cookies, and chocolate, students helped remind residents that they are seen, valued, and appreciated. Seeing these smiles in person reminded us how even small acts of kindness can make a huge difference

At MFA, our mission centers on connection—and this community project was a powerful reminder that kindness builds bridges across generations, and volunteering for this project truly did #37HelpOthersInABigWay.

We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Sarah D…a new counselor at the Mary J. Sherlach Counseling Center, who guided our students through a thoughtful exercise reminding us that Valentine’s Day isn’t just about couples—it’s about self-love, compassion, and kindness toward ourselves, too. Special thanks also to Kiersten N. from TPAUD, Trumbull’s Prevention Partnership, Jami B., advisor to the MFA Club, and Anna M who made a special visit with Scarlett the therapy dog! 

Thank you to every student who helped shine light and love! 

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! 

My Friend Abby Community Project Alert! 

Spreading Holiday Cheer for Mental Health

Nearly 50 incredible My Friend Abby volunteers and MFA Club members from Trumbull High School dedicated their time and energy to bring a little extra joy to young adults currently hospitalized as psychiatric patients. After school, these students wrapped gifts, prepared festive gift bags, wrote thoughtful personalized cards, and shared kindness in a way that went far beyond the presents themselves.

Their efforts created meaningful connections, brightened spirits, and showed the true power of generosity and community. Every card, every ribbon, every smile mattered—and reminded us all how small acts of care can make a big difference and #37HelpOthersInABigWay 

Our guest speaker, Dr. Ariana Rick, a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, shared how mental health is often overlooked—especially during the holidays. Many psychiatric patients face acute challenges and can’t go home, yet most donations go to medical hospitals, leaving them with very little. Giving back can make a real difference in their lives. 

“Dear My Friend Abby, thank you for a wonderful event filled with joy and generosity. Your efforts help spread awareness and kindness, making the holidays memorable for Hartford Healthcare St. Vincent’s Behavioral Health child and adolescent patients”. Dr. Ariana Rick, DNP, APRN-BC

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.

🍀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! 💚✨

A Heartwarming Success! 🌟

This February, My Friend Abby’s "Shining Love on You" project brought joy, hope, and connection to those in elder care and cancer care. 💖✨ With over 30 students coming together, we proved that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a big impact!
MFA is all about empowering young adults to spread love and build meaningful connections—and this project was a beautiful reminder of that mission. Thank you to everyone who participated! 💕

Pictured in photos:
L to R: 
Abby J from My Friend Abby and Jennifer, Teresian Towers.
Becky, Becki, and Rachel, Radiation Oncology Department at Smilow Cancer Hospital Care Center.

🌟Peer-to-peer connection in action! 🌟

My Friend Abby’s “Shining Love on You” community project for February was a huge success! Over 30 students came together to brighten the lives of those in elder care and cancer care. ✨

MFA’s mission is all about building connections between young adults, and this project showed just how powerful kindness can be. From writing heartfelt cards (because handwritten words matter for mental health!) to assembling gift bags with felt flowers and candy, everyone played a role in spreading love. 

Supporting others brings us closer—let’s keep the kindness going! 🫶 ☀️💙

This project truly did #37HelpOthersInABigWay, thank you! 

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.

Holiday Cheer For Mental Health!

This holiday season, almost 50 My Friend Abby volunteers at Trumbull High School came together to spread joy to young adults who are currently hospitalized as psychiatric patients. By staying after school to wrap gifts, fill gift bags, write personalized cards, and share the holiday spirit, students contributed to a meaningful cause and connected with others in a powerful way.

Our guest speaker, Dr. Ariana Rick, a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner from Hartford Healthcare St. Vincent’s Behavioral Health in Westport, CT, highlighted how mental health is often overlooked, especially around the holidays. She explained that while most donations are directed toward medical hospitals, psychiatric patients are frequently left with very little. Many of these patients come from difficult home environments and face acute mental health challenges, preventing them from going home for the holidays and necessitating their stay at the psychiatric hospital.

This My Friend Abby Community Project empowered young people by blending creative activities with meaningful discussions about mental health. By the end of the event, volunteers left knowing they had contributed to #37HelpOthersInABigWay.

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!

MFA Community Project

Heroes Behind the Mask: Encouraging Student Resilience!

Our most recent My Friend Abby Community Project was designed to empower young people by combining creative activities with meaningful discussions about mental health. We discussed how helping others can increase motivation and create a sense of accomplishment through the release of "feel-good" hormones in the brain. This project harnessed that energy, giving students the opportunity to connect, contribute, and build resilience.

Our event included two hands-on activities. First, students decorated coasters with positive affirmations, creating pieces that serve as reminders of encouragement and support while building a bridge between students and our broader community. The second activity involved decorating masks for Halloween with the theme, “Behind every mask, there’s a hero waiting to shine!” Through this theme, we encouraged students to see themselves as capable of self-care and inner strength.

Our guest speaker, Johnny Crowder, CEO and Founder of Cope Notes, shared his powerful journey, openly discussing the challenges he faced as a student and the resilience he has built along the way. By emphasizing the value of peer support and safe spaces to talk about mental health, Johnny encouraged students to reach out for help and lean on one another.

His message reinforced the goals of this project—to foster a community that supports mental health and builds connections that make a lasting difference.

Share Your Light 2024

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.

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!

Shining Love On You!

An MFA Community Project!

The senior lounge at Trumbull High School was absolutely buzzing with activity as students came together to make a huge difference through My Friend Abby’s “Shining Love on You” community project. The goal of the project was to brighten the lives of local nursing home residents who might have felt forgotten this Valentine’s Day.

And guess what? It wasn’t just about spreading love—it was a win-win for everyone involved. Volunteering had been shown to boost mental health and wellness, and this project perfectly aligned with MFA’s mission to foster peer-to-peer connections among young adults.

Over 40 young adults participated in #37HelpOthersInABigWay by writing heartfelt cards, creating gift bags, and assembling them with adorable stuffed animals and candy. Additional tasks were completed, and students enjoyed snacks, refreshments, and a special visit from Yale Officer Rich Simons and Heidi, the service dog!