Kappa Supports Mental Health Awareness at Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values Central Conference

Mental health matters. And for Kappa Kappa Gamma, inspiring positive change isn’t just a mission — it’s action. With every philanthropic event and every dollar raised, Kappas across North America are pursuing lives fully lived and making a difference, such as the $94,000 raised by a single chapter to support The Jed Foundation.

Dr. Thea Zunick, director of community giving at JED, applauded the success of Epsilon Kappa Chapter, South Carolina, for its Neon Nights events — JED’s signature fundraiser. “With support like this, we can continue to do the work that is more important now than ever before.”

Dr. Zunick joined Alex Dudek, M.Ed., Kappa Kappa Gamma’s Manager of Education Programs, in presenting at the annual Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values (AFLV) Central Conference in Indianapolis in January. AFLV is the largest gathering of fraternity and sorority members in the country, bringing together roughly 2,500 people for a conference focused on leadership training, connections, and accelerating progress in Greek life communities.

As she introduced the morning keynote focused on mental health, Dr. Zunick shared that JED engages over 6 million high school and college students in suicide prevention programming and advocacy work each year. The outcomes are nothing short of transformative. At the time a school completes the JED Campus program, its students are:

• 10% less likely to experience suicidal ideation.
• 13% less likely to make a suicide plan.
• 25% less likely to attempt suicide.

“Behind every percentage point is a life that’s been supported, a family that didn’t have to endure a tragedy, and a future that remains bright,” Dr. Zunick said, noting that support from partners like Kappa makes their work possible.

It was a powerful testament to creating a world where mental health is prioritized and every student feels supported.

“We recognize that mental health is not a topic that only impacts members of our organization, but is something that impacts all of us and the people we love the most,” said Dudek.

At this year’s AFLV event, Kappa proudly sponsored the Saturday morning keynote speaker, Ross Szabo, a mental health expert, creator of Behind Happy Faces, and past Kappa Convention keynote speaker. By sharing his story, Szabo reminded attendees that it’s OK to not be OK and that we need to prioritize asking for help when it comes to our mental health.

In 2021, Kappa Kappa Gamma shifted its philanthropic focus to mental health and well-being. We’re proud to partner with six respected organizations that have been working tirelessly in this field, including Active Minds, The Jed Foundation, Mental Health America, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the National Eating Disorders Association, and Jack.org.

Kappa chapters and alumnae associations have embraced the shift, raising over $1.5 million for our partners in just four years. The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation also proudly supports our philanthropic efforts and members’ mental health through a grant that covers the cost of Talkspace online therapy for all collegiate members. Alumae members receive a discount as well.