December 2025

The mission of SVHC is to cultivate local solutions and collaborative actions that advance the health and well-being of the Cortland community.

2026 Cortland Counts Community Forum

We are pleased to announce that the 2026 Cortland Counts Community Forum will be held on Friday, March 13, 2026, from 9 AM to 3 PM at the Cortland Repertory Theatre Downtown. This one-day forum brings together stakeholders across sectors to discuss health and well-being in Cortland County. As in years past, the forum will align with the New York State 2025-2030 Prevention Agenda. The Prevention Agenda adopts a broad perspective on health, outlining 24 key priorities that are grouped into five domains:

Economic Stability
Social and Community Context
Neighborhood and Built Environment
Health Care Access and Quality
Education Access and Quality

Requests for Proposals

While registration for attendees will open in 2026, we are now seeking presentation proposals. Presenters will have the opportunity to share data, highlight innovative programs, discuss challenges, and offer actionable solutions for Cortland County. Presentations will be approximately 20 minutes in length with time for questions and answers. The deadline for proposals is January 16, 2026, and presenters will be notified by Feb. 1 if their presentation was selected. More information as well as past agendas and presentations can be found on the Community Forum website.

Submit a Program Proposal

Event Sponsorship

To keep the forum accessible, registration for attendees will be free. We are seeking organizations and business to be event sponsors to support this vital work and help defray event costs. Event sponsors demonstrate their commitment to building a healthier community and that "Cortland Counts!" Please spread these opportunities within your network and connect with SVHC to become a sponsor.

Event Sponsorship Levels

National Rural Health Day proclamation

SVHC was proud to celebrate National Rural Health Day on Nov. 20. In case you missed our email that day, you can read more about rural health and meet our Rural Health Champions here.

The Cortland County Legislature also issued an official proclamation Recognizing National Rural Health Day in Cortland County. SVHC Executive Director Jackie Cooper, along with Nicole Anjeski, Cortland County Public Health Director and SVHC Board of Directors Chair, received the proclamation at the legislature meeting from Legislator Ron VanDee, Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee.

Food giveaway recap

We recognize that although SNAP benefits have been fully restored, the need for food in our community remains. Through several recent food drives, our community generously donated non-perishable items. SVHC was able to fill in some gaps with perishable items at the Nov. 20 food giveaway drive-through event. We provided 242 families with 3,388 total pounds of food! Items included ground beef, sausage, milk, eggs, cheese, butter, yogurt, squash and frozen vegetables. Thank you to our dedicated team of Seven Valleys Food Rescue volunteers who pre-packed bags, distributed bags, and directed traffic!

Board of Directors Thank You

As 2025 concludes, we wanted to take a moment and thank our Board of Directors. Our board members help guide our strategic plan, provide financial oversight, and offer insight and direction so that SVHC can best serve the Cortland community. Thank you for your contributions and service!

The month in pictures

This month, we celebrated Tooth Fairy Day at the Age Well Center with Cortland County Office for Aging. Mighty Molar and the Tooth Fairy distributed toothbrushes and oral health supplies to attendees. We hosted another great Story Slam event, which benefited our food programs. We were happy to receive a donation from Grand Union's Fill a Glass of Hope Campaign. And the SVHC staff gathered with our board of directors for a retreat and time of planning.