How do you create a unique and engaging event for children and their families that also provides information and access to mental health services?  Over the past year, a group of dedicated individuals took on that challenge to launch Broome Families Forward (BFF).  The BFF planning committee consisted of people who work at local agencies, including our own Nicole DiRado, and those with other community connections.  “It was a group of people who wanted to help families and kids access mental health resources,” shared DiRado. “We all had community connections or work for similar agencies which helped to spread the word and outreach to different agencies to participate,” she added.

FCCS clinician, Nicole DiRado, is ready to greet guests at the BFF event.

SUNY Broome came on board as a key partner offering their Ice Center and gymnasiums to host the event and the SUNY Broome hockey team volunteered to help engage with the children and their families. The committee’s goal was to make this a non-traditional tabling event with each agency providing an interactive activity or game so that it was “less boring” than a traditional event.

Inflatable bounce houses/slides created an enticing backdrop as families entered with live music floating through the air. Guests could “paint the ice” for mental wellness over at the Ice Center. A healthy, free family meal and ice cream bar were provided thanks to GHS Federal Credit Union and the Binghamton Pond Festival. T-shirt coloring and other free goodies added to the giveaways and family friendly games offered by each agency.  The Yogi Bear mascot from Jelly Stone and the Broome Hornet mascot worked the room for high fives and photos!

This entire event was free to the community. Forty local agencies participated to promote mental health, healthy lifestyles, creative expression, and happy homes. These agencies helped to provide resources for mental health, food, educational support, family support, childcare, insurance and much more.

The BFF committee chose to hold the event on October 10th to align with World Mental Health Day.  Congratulations to the BFF committee for creating and offering an amazing experience for children and their families. We were thrilled to be part of such a wonderful event!