Episcopal Community Services recently partnered with the Aetna Better Health Community Council of Philadelphia, The Home Depot, and The Yellow Tulip Project to create a Hope Garden at St. Barnabas Community Resource Center. ECS and its partners honored the creation of the Hope Garden with a ceremony organized to support a healthy dialogue around mental health.
The dedication ceremony began with words from Donna Fencik, Aetna Better Health and Rhena McClain, Director of SBCRC. The ceremony featured a presentation of the Aetna mobile wellness unit, a custom vehicle outfitted to promote wellness in the field. Then, attendees gathered around a screen to watch pre-recorded remarks from the leadership of the Yellow Tulip Project, Suzanne Fox and Julia Hansen. The mother-daughter team reflected on how their work in suicide prevention inspired the creation of the Hope Garden initiative.
The event culminated with time for planting tulip bulbs, which will endure the winter to become yellow flowers in the spring. The Hope Garden is at 6006 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19151.