From school gardens to countywide wellness initiatives, Sullivan 180 is closing out 2025 with what Executive Director Denise Frangipane calls unmistakable momentum — and gearing up for an even more ambitious 2026.
Across Sullivan County, she said, residents, schools and municipalities stepped up in ways that made the organization’s mission feel newly energized.
“Just a shout out of gratitude and thanks to everyone who has picked up this mission and made it their own,” said Frangipane. “It really is individuals doing it, but it requires the collective work of many.”
A Year of Growth in Schools
Frangipane said one of the clearest signs of progress is how deeply schools have woven health and wellness into everyday life.
“They’re embracing and integrating health and wellness into so much of what they’re offering our students,” she said, pointing to outdoor learning spaces, school gardens and the rise of Spartan clubs, inspired by the annual Bethel Woods obstacle-race event.
“It’s about challenging yourself to do better, do more,” she said. “We’re seeing young people getting a sense of accomplishment… getting off their phones.”
Sullivan 180 also expanded its food-service conferences and strengthened relationships with school staff and youth leaders throughout the county.
“When you peel away the layers of where people can engage… it’s exciting to see the ideas that are coming forward,” she said.
Hope Squad: Students Supporting Students
One of the most powerful highlights of 2025 was the growth of Hope Squads — peer-to-peer suicide-prevention teams launched at Eldred and Fallsburg.
“The idea of Hope Squad is to empower young people to be able to support each other peer-to-peer,” Frangipane said. “The only people who really can relate to youth the best are other youth.”
She said the turnout at the Out of the Darkness Walk in Kauneonga Lake showed how committed students are.
“Young people supporting each other and supporting their peers to say we’re here for you and we’re here for one another.”
Year-End Events and The Year Ahead
Every Monday through Dec. 22, the organization is partnering with Bethel Woods on the Peace, Love & Lights walk.
Sullivan 180’s 2026 grant season officially opens Jan. 1, bringing back school wellness grants, municipal grants, beautification funding and community development support.
“January 1, our official grant season kicks off,” Frangipane said. “If you have a project and you’re not quite sure whether it fits, just give us a call… We have a way of making everything fit.”
The organization will also host its 5th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Jan. 9, uniting students countywide for a full day of hands-on community work at HPAC.
More information is available at sullivan180.org.
Image: Sullivan 180 Team Members. (Credit: Sullivan 180)