Got Hope? 4th Annual Yellow Tulip Project Shines a Light on Mental Health
- lisa53875
- Oct 22
- 5 min read
The Yellow Tulip Project, an innovative youth-driven non profit with the mission of smashing the stigma surrounding mental health brought together a large group of volunteers outside Greenwich High School to talk about mental health before fanning out across town to plant yellow tulip bulbs.
Yellow tulips are the Flower of Hope and the idea is to bring the community together in the fall to plant bulbs to raise raise mental health awareness.
The bulb planting effort symbolizes hope and resilience. After the bulbs are planted the community collectively anticipates that the bulbs will bloom in the spring.
We hope that some day mental illness will be as normal to talk about as physical illness – and we are fiercely dedicated to making that goal a reality. – Yellow Tulip Project
Kathy Steiner, Health Education teacher at GHS welcomed the large group of volunteers.
Steiner, who advises many clubs including the Outreach Club, said the group’s mantra is to stay safe and party sober,
“This is our fourth annual Yellow Tulip event,” Steiner said. “We are so grateful at the large turnout because it truly takes a community to smash the stigma and talk about mental health.”
State Rep Meskers (D-150), who attends the event annually, said that last year he attended the gathering two weeks after losing his mother. “It was the worst period of my life,” he said.
“You look at everyone around you and you don’t realize what the tipping point is for mental health, for happiness,” he said. “Maybe because of my age and life experiences I was able to weather that with the sharing of friends, but each of us has a vulnerability, a tipping point and a need. There is a community around you and there is professional help available. Hope does come in the morning but you need to reach out to people.”
Meskers said the event was a symbol of hope and revitalization.
“It is a sign that it can happen to all of us. I went through my crisis and it was awful. We can all go there. Don’t feel either afraid or ashamed to express that and to deal with it. Let’s go out today with the beautiful sun shining, and look for tomorrow.”
Selectperson Janet Stone McGuigan said while the origin story of Saturday’s event might not be a happy one. “But we here in the spirit of hope which is inspiring and affirming.”
State Rep Tina Courpas (R-149) said it was her first time attending the event and she was impressed at the number of volunteers, especially the number of high school seniors, given they are typically very busy this time of the year.
“The fact that you’re here is amazing to me and one of the things that makes this such a special community,” Courpas said. “I think the cause is so worthy.”
Dayanna Dias, co-chair of the Greenwich Together Youth Coalition, explained the coalition was comprised of students from grades 8 through 12, in both public and private schools, focusing on preventing substance misuse and promoting mental health.
She said coalition members use their voices and experiences to create positive change, whether through community service, social media projects, environmental scans, or events like Saturday’s.
Dayanna said the group’s goal is to remind others that it is okay to reach out for help and that the project represents hope, remembrance and connection.
Simrin Khera, the other of the co-chairs of the Greenwich Together Youth Coalition talked about de-stigmatizing mental health.
“We are in an epidemic of mental unwellness and stress is one of the leading factors,” Simrin said. “Students experience an immense amount of pressure to perform daily. This can be in sports, academics, social stress and more.”
Simrin said the Yellow Tulip planting project would work toward combating stigmas surrounding mental heath and a sense of purpose for youth. She said the project had impacted her personally, encouraging her to treat herself better and prioritize her own mental health.
After Jonathan Fasone, Greenwich Park Operations Manager, instructed volunteers about how to plant tulips, they fanned out in groups to various destinations across town to plant the bulbs.
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