The Story County Mental Health Expo is set to be held Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union.

The evening will feature over 20 different vendors, refreshments, prizes and a keynote speech from comedian, author and advocate Sara Benincasa. The event is also put together by organizations like the Ames Police Department, Central Iowa Psychological Services and the Iowa State Lectures committee. This event is open to the public and serves as a way to educate people on mental illness and help others find ways to cope with mental illness.

The first part of the event will be a mental health resource fair from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Sun Room, with door prizes, refreshments, and more. The fair will also include substance abuse and mental health counseling resources from around Story County. Sara Benincasa’s speech will begin at 7 p.m.

Benincasa, author of the novels “Agorafabulous!” and “Real Artists Have Day Jobs (And Other Awesome Things They Don’t Teach You In School)”, will be talking about mental illness and putting a positive spin to it in her keynote speech.

“I think it’s important to talk about mental health in a positive, encouraging way so that people know they can survive and even thrive,” Benincasa said. “I found when I was suicidal in college that the one thing that helped was feeling less alone.”

Benincasa started writing and talking about mental health so other people wouldn’t feel so alone. She will also be talking about her experience with panic attacks and navigating mental health as a college student.

“If I help one person see that suicide is not the solution to their depression or anxiety and that they can ask for help and live a happier life, I’m glad,” Benincasa said.