State organizations alongside leaders from Cumberland and Perry counties held the event to bring the community together to promote mental health equity.
CARLISLE, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services alongside leaders from Cumberland and Perry counties held the 16th Annual Walk & Rally on Friday.
This year’s theme, “Walking in Hope – Honoring Our Journey, Our Voices, People First, and Empowerment,” aimed at highlighting the “strength, resilience and leadership of individuals and families with lived experience.”
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“The progress we celebrate today is the result of local leadership, lived experience, and community voices coming together—but sustaining that progress requires broader commitment.” said Jessica Paul, a Cumberland/Perry Community Support Program (CSP) leader
Paul, who is an individual in recovery, says that support from elected officials is crucial to the work CSP does.
“When policymakers listen, invest, and act, they don’t just support communities like ours—they make equity and access possible for everyone,” she said. “That’s why we must continue to elevate lived experience—not just as stories, but as a force for change—because real progress depends on people speaking up, being heard, and expecting decision-makers to act on what they hear!”
Around 260 participants traversed from Letort Park in Carlisle to the Cumberland County Veterans Memorial in Boiling Springs. Speakers at the event who have been diagnosed with mental health illnesses spoke about their battles with the disease and how the community has been there to support them.
“When mental health community entered my life, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders,” said Richard, who spoke at the event.
“It was difficult in the beginning, but slowly I started getting involved in activities and connecting with others,” event speaker Penny said.
The Cumberland County Commissioners presented CSP with a proclamation making May as Mental Health Awareness Month.
State leaders say that the 988 suicide hotline receives around 13,000 calls every month.