Resident's legacy is remembered at the NAMI YANA Sarasota

Memories bloom at the YANA Sarasota while honoring the beloved memory of friend and family member, Janice Marie Chestnut.

On July 26, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and You Are Not Alone (YANA) center held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Janice Marie Chestnut Memorial Garden. The garden is a gift from the center from the Chestnut family to thank the center for all the mental health support Ms. Chestnut received.

“The fact that the family felt like she received so much when she attended here and they can honor her with a little Zen Garden in our backyard is really neat. Which can continue her legacy and be a good reminder to folks.” said NAMI CEO Colleen Thayer.

The garden took about a year to plan and build and has inspired Chestnut's son, James C. Jacobs, to launch a foundation in her name.

“We’re going to focus on homelessness, HIV awareness, substance abuse, domestic violence and most importantly mental health.” explains Jacobs.

Jacobs said it's his desire to break the stigma of mental health, provide care and education for the public.

The YANA Sarasota center is located at 240b S. Tuttle Ave in Sarasota.