Yellow Tulip Hope Gardens In Bloom Across Worcester

WORCESTER, MA — Yellow tulips planted in 2023 in several locations in Worcester are now in bloom, a special effort by Open Sky Community Services as part of Mayor Joseph Petty's Mental Health Task Force to raise awareness about substance use disorder and mental health.

Here's more from an Open Sky news release:

Open Sky Community Services, a member of the Mayor’s Mental Health Task Force in Worcester, has announced that five Yellow Tulip Hope Gardens, planted throughout the City of Worcester to raise awareness and end the stigma around mental health and substance use challenges, are blooming.

The Mayor’s Mental Health Task Force, also known as the Green Ribbon Committee, planted thousands of yellow tulip bulbs last fall at City Hall, police headquarters, the HeartWell Institute, the Senior Center, and Open Sky’s offices at 4 Mann St.

Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty and Worcester Health and Human Services Commissioner Dr. Matilde Castiel and Open Sky’s Vice President of Community Engagement Kelley Gamble welcomed visitors to the Hope Garden at City Hall Wednesday, April 24th, and spoke briefly about the task force and the Yellow Tulip Project’s goals.

It is the fifth year in a row Open Sky has planted Hope Gardens around Central Massachusetts. There are also Yellow Tulip Hope Gardens in Southbridge, Gardner, and at Alternatives’ Whitin Mill in Whitinsville, where Open Sky’s arts and culture arm ValleyCAST hosts an annual Hope Day Celebration.

“These gardens of bright yellow tulips are meant to symbolize hope and possibility,” said Gamble. “The flowers are vibrant and resilient even through the dreariest days.”

The Hope Gardens are part of a national campaign by the Yellow Tulip Project, a Maine-based, youth-driven nonprofit dedicated to preventing suicide, reducing the stigma around mental health, building community and, “helping people know that there is help and hope out there, one yellow tulip at a time.”