Minds Matter: Mental Health resource fair


SAVE THE DATE! St. Andrew Presbyterian Church will be hosting its Minds Matter: Mental Health Resource Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday September 16. 


The purpose of this event is to connect individuals and families with local mental health services they may not know are available to them or their loved ones. Local nonprofits and agencies will have booths to talk about the services they provide. Guest speakers will share ways we can be mindful of our mental wellness, advocate for loved ones, and educate about the services currently available in our community. Walking tacos will be sold, and all proceeds will go to continued support of local mental health services in our community.


More information about our schedules speakers is below. If you have questions about the Resource Fair, contact us at the button below.  (If you would like to participate as a presenter, please contact us by Sept. 1, 2023.)


With thanks,

Nichole Hoffman, Children's Ministries Outreach Coordinator

Amy Schmidt-Rundell, Mission and Outreach Coordinator


Contact Us

Laura Gentry (10:30 a.m.)

The Rev. Laura Gentry is pastor of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Lansing, Iowa, and is better as known as Laughing Laura, a

reckless purveyor of joy! She is a Master Teacher of Laughter Yoga who has presented laughter and motivational programs on six continents. She also will led a gong bath meditation later in the day.

leslie carpenter (12:30 p.m.)

Leslie Carpenter, co-founder of Iowa Mental Health Advocacy, a lobbyist in the Iowa Legislature, and a serious brain illness advocate.


She is a retired physical therapist who now works to improve the mental health treatment system. She serves on the NAMI Iowa Board of Directors and teaches 3 of the NAMI Signature Programs, with her most recent emphasis on NAMI Provider Training. She provides advocacy presentations to a wide variety of audiences to help people to understand the causes of the mental health crisis, to humanize it and to share practical solutions.


Leslie successfully led an effort in the 6th Judicial District in Iowa to create Iowa’s first AOT (Assisted Outpatient Treatment) Program in conjunction with Iowa’s first Civil Mental Health Court. She also serves on multiple advisory boards and committees as a family member with lived experience, including the National AOT Advisory Committee, to help improve the treatment of people with serious brain illnesses.

Leslie and her husband, Scott, have two adult children, one of whom lives with a severe Schizoaffective Disorder. Leslie and Scott received the Isabel Turner Award from the Iowa City Human Rights Commission in 2020 for their advocacy work.

Dottie Schley (2 p.m.)

Dottie Schley is a member of the I’m Glad You Stayed Project. She offers support for those that have been touched by suicide and to spread awareness and resources for those that are struggling with depression and/or suicidal ideation. She watched firsthand the devastation caused by one brief moment of desperation, and she wants to do all she can to help others stay.