Grant to Youth-Led Nonprofit Provides Mental Health Care Packages to Pennsylvania Organizations

On Wednesday, January 24, youth advocate, Sophie Fontecchio, visited Western Pennsylvania to spread her teen mental health advocacy efforts.

In 2021, Sophie founded Let's Bake the World a Better Place – an organization that "engages local youth in support of a wide range of non-profit organizations through baking and mental health advocacy." One initiative of Let's Bake the World a Better Place is the creation of Mental Health Care Packages that are made "by youth for youth" and distributed in schools and mental health agencies for teens to pick up when they need some support.

Each kit includes materials to create 25 care packages. Each package contains a letter of encouragement written by another youth, a mini journal, a fidget toy, mental health stickers, and assorted candy – all of which were thoughtfully selected to help recipients feel accepted and provide hope and healing. To date, Let's Bake the World a Better Place has raised and donated $17,000 to 25 organizations through bake sales and has distributed to over 5,000 Teen Mental Health Care Packages across the Commonwealth.

Sophie was first introduced to the PA Youth Advocacy Network as a guest speaker during the Harrisburg Advocacy Day in November 2023. She shared her advocacy work with youth from across the state and inspired them to take action in their own communities.

Through a $1,250 grant from JHF, Fontecchio is providing Mental Health Care Package kits to 20 schools and youth organizations who participated in its recent trip to Harrisburg to advocate for student mental health days legislation.

Following her presentation, Beaver County Youth Ambassador Program invited her to speak at their January event where she continued to spread her message to 375 students in Beaver County and provided each school with Mental Health Care Packages to create and have in their schools. She concluded her day sharing the kits with organizations in the PA Youth Advocacy Network during an event at The Beacon – combining card writing and baked goods from Bunny Bakes.

For more information about Sophie's work, visit: https://www.letsbaketheworldabetterplace.com/.