LEXINGTON, Ky. — Nelson County has become a hub for youth mental health advocacy through the Yellow Tulip Project, a national initiative to combat stigma surrounding mental illness. The effort has gained such prominence that a local social worker leading the project has earned international recog nition from Rotary International. Olivia Raley, a certified social worker and member of the Rotary Club of Bardstown, was named one of six global recipients of the 2026 Rotary People of Action: Champions of Tomorrow award. She is the sole United States representative among honorees from Italy, India, the Philippines, Colombia, and Uganda. Raley was recognized for her leadership in advancing youth-centered initiatives through the Nelson County Yellow Tulip Project, according to Rotary International. Community leaders in Nelson County identified a critical need roughly a year ago: children lacked activities and meaningful social outlets, while stress and anxiety plagued youth. “What we found is that there’s nothing for youth to do in rural Nelson County,” Raley said, noting the closure of entertainment venues such as bowling alleys, movie theaters, and skating rinks. “The youth are so forgotten.” Rather than accept this void, county leaders opted into the national Yellow Tulip Project, which uses gardening and community engagement to build awareness and reduce stigma around mental health. The project has established 22 Hope Gardens at schools, parks, jails, shelters, and police departments throughout Nelson County, according to Rotary. More than 100 young volunteers have become involved in educational outreach and workshops about mental health. Early results show a 35%-42% increase in young people’s comfort discussing mental health issues in the project’s first year. Yellow tulips symbolize hope and resilience, serving as visible reminders to community members. “When communities come together, get their hands dirty planting a garden, and talk about mental illness, hope blooms,” according to the project’s website. The initiative was founded by Julia Hansen, who lost two close friends to suicide during her high school years. Though Raley accepted the award, she emphasized that success depends on broader community support. “No pun intended but they deserve their flowers just as much as I do, because it’s just like systems in any capacity: If one pillar breaks, the whole thing collapses,” she said, referencing partner organizations including Tri County United Way, the Lincoln Trail Health Department, WellCare of Kentucky, and various schools. The recognition comes as Kentucky faces significant state budget cuts affecting mental health services. Gov. Andy Beshear indicated that the state’s latest budget agreement cuts Medicaid by $2.7 billion and threatens the elimination of mental health services and reduction of social workers statewide. This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Kentucky Lantern, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/04/20/how-a-kentucky-county-uses-flowers-to-fight-stigma-around-mental-health/. The post Nelson County plants hope with Yellow Tulip Project expansion appeared first on The Lexington Times. ...read more read less