MOULTRIE, Ga. — A Moultrie woman has been honored for her role in starting a suicide awareness organization.

Michelle Cope was presented with the prestigious Golden Heart Award in December 2020, acknowledging her outstanding commitment to raising awareness about suicide and supporting survivors of suicide loss through her grassroots organization, The Yellow Elephant. 

The Golden Heart Awards is presented each year by HEARTS for Families, a non-profit organization founded in 1997 that provides program facilitator trainings, parenting programs, and prevention services including suicide prevention, underage alcohol consumption prevention, and opioid abuse prevention across the State of Georgia, according to a press release from the group. The HEARTS mission is to strengthen families and those that serve families, and the Golden Heart Award serves to honor community advocates who have supported that mission.  

Each year, HEARTS personnel nominate community members from across the state who have made major strides to better their communities, the press release said.  The HEARTS for Families board of directors selects the winner from among the dozen or so nominees.

“Nominating Michelle for the Golden Heart Award was a no-brainer,” said Dustin Infinger, Community Involvement Specialist with HEARTS focused on suicide prevention services in South Georgia.  “Michelle has so much drive and passion for this work, and she does it in addition to her day job, which really proves her dedication.  Our Board of Directors obviously recognized that as well when they selected her as 2020’s winner.”

Cope founded The Yellow Elephant in October of 2015, three years after losing her best friend to suicide.  Her friend had a strong love of elephants and thinking about this gave Michelle a “lightbulb moment” that God was speaking to her about the “elephant in the room.”  She drew an elephant, and The Yellow Elephant was born.  The nonprofit works to end the stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide and has recently partnered with HEARTS for Families to bring suicide prevention resources to Colquitt County.

“Everyone knows mental illness is real and suicide is a heartbreaking way out, but no one seems to be comfortable talking about it or know how to … there is an awful stigma attached,” says Michelle. “People are afraid to seek help for fear of being labeled crazy or not taken seriously until it is too late.”

There were a least 14 known suicide deaths in Colquitt County in 2020 alone,  HEARTS for Families said, making suicide prevention efforts more critical now than ever. 

If you are thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend, or loved one, or would like emotional support, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.  The Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States.

For immediate access to routine or crisis services, please call the Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL) at 1-800-715-4225.  GCAL is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year to help you or someone you care for in a crisis.