Mental health nonprofit brings safe space for community with creative relief wellness retreats

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — ‘You are not alone for the holidays,’ is a message for the capital city this season. A time when people are in need of an extra push, said Chelsea Borruano, founder of the mental health nonprofit, You Aren’t Alone Project. 

“It’s the time of year where most people need a day to reflect, to connect, to just have the space, to be able to be present with themselves and to say, like, I can do this, I can get through this, or I’m struggling and I need help,” Borruano said. 

Through the nonprofit, Borruano has newly established creative relief wellness retreats that are set to make an impact for creatives, especially those in Louisiana. 

Watch now

You Aren’t Alone Project hosts meaningful conversations about mental health over coffee

BATON ROUGE, La (BRPROUD) ––– Emotions are often high around elections, so the You Aren’t Alone Project is hosting ‘Conversations Over Coffee’ Thursday night at Social Coffee to help you find out how to be civically engaged without sacrificing your mental health.

The event features nonpartisan info to educate without spin, a counselor on hand to facilitate meaningful conversations, and plenty of coffee and treats!

You Aren’t Alone Project Board Member Jamee Blink says, “a lot of people don’t have the toolkit they need to process those feelings or to deal with the stress or anxiety that may come from the loud noise that is the news or the information that they’re getting around election season. So I think what this event in particular is trying to do is give people those tools and resources to deal with the stress and anxiety so that they can then take in that information and make decisions that are really important to them now and in their future.”

Watch now

Opportunities near you: Ways to volunteer in Acadiana, Baton Rouge and New Orleans

Baton Rouge: The You Aren't Alone Project was formed to create a network of support for mental health and wellness in the city. The helps to encourage understanding, erase stigmas and invest in building relationships to sustain the progress. The project is looking for professionals who can provide resources and individuals who are open and willing to share their stories.

Read more

Breaking the barriers to mental healthcare: EBR initiative to launch this year

by: Zach Labbe

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – Everyone struggles with their mental health at some point in their lives, but barriers often prevent people from getting the help they need. 

According to the National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI), one in five U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, but more than half of those people with a mental health condition did not receive any treatment in the last year. Many groups, like NAMI, are working towards removing the barriers to mental health care.

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – Everyone struggles with their mental health at some point in their lives, but barriers often prevent people from getting the help they need. 

According to the National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI), one in five U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, but more than half of those people with a mental health condition did not receive any treatment in the last year. Many groups, like NAMI, are working towards removing the barriers to mental health care.

“Breaking the barriers means that people who are predisposed to mental health conditions, or are already vulnerable in our communities are going to be able to receive adequate mental health support,” says Advocacy and State Program Director for NAMI Louisiana Tatiana Gonzalez. 

“Baton Rouge has come a long way with addressing the barriers to mental health care,” says Gonzalez, but there is still more work to do. 

BRProud’s Zach Labbé sat down with Wren Hyatt, who spoke candidly about their experience managing their mental health. Hyatt attempted suicide at the age of 14 and has been battling some of those barriers to treatment since.

Reflecting on a more recent stay in a mental health facility, Hyatt says, “I wasn’t worried about how it was going to be treated… I was worried about the money, and that really sucks.”

The cost of care is a common barrier that stops many from seeking help. NAMI Louisiana cites that of the 194,000 adults in Louisiana who did not receive needed mental health care, 48.1% did not because of cost. 

“Sometimes your insurance might not cover it or that even if it does, it’s not just not as affordable,” says Founder of the You Aren’t Alone Project Chelsea Borruano. She said with 8.9% of people in the state uninsured the cost is pretty substantial.

Watch the full story here.

Local art, spoken word and poetry to be featured during mental health night in Perkins Rowe

by: Gerron Jordan

Baton Rouge, La (BRPROUD) In an effort to raise awareness about prioritizing mental health, the You Aren’t Alone Project in collaboration with Cards and Culture is hosting a mental health night in Perkins Rowe, Thursday, October 21. Watch the full video here.

ART AND MENTAL HEALTH INTERSECT THROUGH THE YOU AREN’T ALONE PROJECT

225 Magazine | September 3, 2021

By Maggie Heyn Richardson | Photography by Collin Richie

On July 26, 2019, a crowd of about 200 at Mid City Ballroom watched as performance artists depicted the challenges of living with mental health issues.

One was aerialist Jamie Ray.

Performing with her partner, Isaac Wells, Ray revealed through dance and acrobatics the whiplash of emotions caused by bipolar disorder. Her choreographed movements captured what it was like to feel the extreme highs and the violent, agitated lows associated with the condition, she says.

“I have been that person before in the relationship,” Ray says. “For me, it was therapeutic, and an important story to tell. Mental health is something that we should be able to talk about openly.”

Other artists told equally compelling stories through break dancing, lip-synching, vocal performance, monologues and other forms of live art. The event, created and curated by the local nonprofit You Aren’t Alone Project, gave artists a chance to express their personal experiences with mental health through original work. While COVID-19 has now canceled the live art event two years in a row, organizers hope to stage a return in the spring, with performers again translating their mental health journeys through art.

Read the full story.

YOU AREN’T ALONE PROJECT LAUNCHES VIRTUAL RAFFLE TO BENEFIT MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES

The You Aren’t Alone Project (YAAP), a nonprofit based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, launched a virtual raffle fundraiser on May 18 benefitting mental health initiatives. The national raffle will run until 11:59 p.m. CST on June 2, 2021. All proceeds will benefit the project’s ongoing events, programs and initiatives.


The raffle kicks off the ceremonious relaunch of YAAP during Mental Health Awareness Month after over a year of uncertainty during the pandemic. The group also hosted their first in-person program since early 2020 with a series titled CBT & Coffee, led by Licensed Professional Counselor Brittany Hebert, highlighting the power of cognitive behavioral therapy to manage thoughts, emotions and behaviors. In addition, the project’s founder and executive director released a special episode of her podcast, Along the Gravel Road Podcast, with special guest Ryan Schwartz, founder of Mental Health Match, a national platform changing the way people find the right therapist.


Funds raised will help to facilitate the project’s future goals and expand outreach far beyond the Baton Rouge area with the ultimate goal of making mental health more accessible to everyone. Some of those initiatives include:

• Growing a new volunteer network;
  

• Offering more programming, including a second annual Live Art Event in Baton Rouge;
  

• Expanding reach beyond Baton Rouge to other other cities across the US;
  

• Building on community partnerships to bring awareness to and offer support for organizations that are already putting in the work;
  

• And sharing more stories from diverse voices to offer as much hope as possible for connection and healing.
  
  
  

In true 2021 fashion, the raffle is completely virtual with donations starting at $10 for ten entries. Entries are open to anyone 21 and older throughout the U.S. Prizes include the following:

• Donated in full by FTLO Travel, the grand prize winner will get to choose their own curated international group trip with FTLO Travel valued up to $3,000. FTLO Travel offers modern group travel for ages 25-39. As a note, if the winner is outside of this age group, they will have the option to gift the trip to someone of their choosing or select from any of the other prizes.
  

• The second place prize, provided by YAAP, includes a year-long membership to Sesh, a virtual platform for therapist-led group support sessions valued at $720.
  

• Third place will receive a $400 virtual gift card by Virgin Experience Gifts to choose their own experience across the US, purchased by YAAP.
  

• The fourth place winner will receive a gift box hand-picked by a member of the YAAP team with wellness products and YAAP merchandise valued at $250. This prize package is sponsored by HomeLight Baton Rouge.
  ​
  
  

After coordinating with the winners, the YAAP team will celebrate the wrap up of the campaign with a Facebook Live announcement on June 5 at 6 p.m. at Soji Modern Asian.


Additional restrictions may apply. For more information about the You Aren’t Alone Project virtual raffle, visit go.rallyup.com/yaapraffle or contact Chelsea Borruano at cborruano1@gmail.com.

How Mental Health Can Affect Your Marriage

Written by Chelsea Borruano for Baton Rouge Parents Magazine

Marriage isn’t always easy, and neither is managing mental health. When things like anxiety, mood, impulse and substance abuse disorders are present in a relationship, it can be incredibly challenging. But, if we can navigate these things correctly, they can also bring about an even deeper connection and understanding of ourselves and each other. A mental health condition within a marriage can be managed if both partners have the skills and awareness to cope and communicate through challenges.

Let’s talk about it.
Just starting the conversation about mental health can often be the hardest part, so it’s no surprise that some people tend to hide that part of themselves from the people they love. While this may be sustainable for a while, it will inevitably negatively impact the relationship in the long run. By sharing our health history, we’re sharing insight into not just our challenges but also our strengths.

These tools can be used to start the conversation for those suffering or for those concerned that their partner may be suffering with a mental health condition.

• Talk when there are no active symptoms of mania, anxiety, or psychosis present.

• Initiate with a text, email or letter if it feels uncomfortable to speak face-to-face.

• Use “process talk” to introduce a difficult conversation. (“I want to tell you something important that I’ve been worrying about. This is difficult for me to say, though. I hope you can listen and understand.”)

• Find important information online that might help explain symptoms, concerns and feelings.

• Expect to be asked questions. Expect to not have all the answers.

• Be prepared for them to have mixed reactions and emotions.

• Listen.

• Be honest with each other.

POWERPUMP GIRLS W(O)W: CHELSEA BORRUANO X YOU AREN’T ALONE PROJECT

Chelsea Borruano is a fun, passion-driven woman who has dreams and is a “doer” who will put the pedal to the metal to make them come true. She graduated from LSU with a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication, concentration in Advertising. Through NYU’s online program she just recently decided to pursue her Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling (you go girl!). She has a twin sister and is professionally trained in improv with LATCo (holla, go peep our last blog!). She has also done some stand up comedy (ayyee)! Traveling is Chelsea’s vibe and you can catch her on a flight if she isn’t working, or maybe she’s doing both #catchflightsnotfeelings. She has been to Spain, France, Greece, Scandinavia, Mexico, Colombia, all with her sister of course, and plans to visit Asia this November (can I be the third sister?)


We are highlighting her as the founder of the You Aren’t Alone Project, which was fueled and inspired by Chelsea’s own experience of pain, loss and triumph. Chelsea is a book of surprises, in addition to her previously mentioned pursuits, she works full time for MESH as Business Development Manager and serves on on several local boards including: Forum 225, Rotaract, PRAL, and BRAC Ambassador.


The You Aren’t Alone Project was founded in 2019 and is dedicated to forming a network of ongoing support for mental health and wellness in Baton Rouge and surrounding communities. This is done with the goal to ensure no one ever feels alone. The project, “exists to encourage understanding, erase stigmas, and to invest in building the right relationships that will continue moving this initiative forward.” The vision of the project is to be the platform that paves the way for mental and behavioral health in Louisiana and elevate the discussion to the same level in which physical health is acknowledged.

Purpose is what sets your soul on fire.

Her incredible support system, made up of her family, closest friends and co-workers, helps her in the midst of trials and challenges. She stresses the importance of her family and considers them to be her rock. They recently experienced the loss of their mom’s sister (nanny) to cancer. She shares that they are still healing but are in it together as a unit, which is important. She wakes up in the morning because of her purpose and this fuels her through the hard times. Chelsea shares her passion of, “ leaving [her] mark on this world by changing as many lives as [she] can for the better.” To the entrepreneurs in the house, Chelsea wants you to know You. Are. Not. Alone. You don’t have to do it alone, and don’t be afraid to ask your tribe for some help when you need it.


Chelsea appreciates with a full heart the opportunity to see others realize they are not alone. She shares that the feeling cannot be described when she sees her organization’s impact on individuals and the community. Looking to the future Chelsea wants to continue growing the non-profit and eventually offer programs as a licensed mental health counselor to those with little to no access to mental health services. What is her goal? “. . .to change the conversation around mental health on a national level and ultimately, change the world, or someone's world, for the better”(wow, speechless). To date, her proudest accomplishment is seeing her vision come to life at the YAAP first annual Live Art Event last summer, which will go down in history as one of the best of her life.

BRPROUD LOUISIANA WOMEN: CHELSEA BORRUANO, YOU AREN'T ALONE PROJECT

by: Carly Laing
Posted: May 21, 2020 / 02:49 PM CDT / Updated: May 21, 2020 / 02:49 PM CDTBATON ROUGE, LA (BRPROUD) – May is Mental Health Awareness month, and a local woman is using her anxiety and depression to help others going through the same struggles.
Chelsea Borruano works in marketing, she’s a Louisiana native and a twin, she’s also one of thousands who struggle with mental health. “For 28 years I lived with something that I just couldn’t put a name to,” Borruano said. After years of fighting with herself she decided to get help. “I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression.” She never knew so many others were battling the same struggles. “I shared my story, and it got a lot of really great feedback. So many people basically just told me thank you, I thought I was alone in this,” she said.

Her struggle inspired her to create the You Aren’t Alone Project, a non-profit that provides resources and support for people struggling with mental health issues. “The whole goal is really to build a community to support a community of mental health and wellness so that nobody here every has to feel alone,” Borruano said.

Now, in the COVID-19 era, her organization is needed more than ever. “I think it’s been completely vital right now more than we could have ever imagined,” she said. “So we’re going to try and keep that momentum going and offer resources that are very specific to what’s going on right now especially once we’re able to come together again.”

Her efforts aren’t going unnoticed. “It’s getting a little bit more comfortable, but I still think we need to change the conversation. So taking that a step further into talking about it more in a natural way to where you don’t feel uncomfortable opening up and then seeking help too,” she said. “I don’t feel uncomfortable going to the doctor if I’m feeling sick, but for some reason I feel uncomfortable going to see a therapist, so we want to make it more natural.”

​She hopes to inspire others to seek help so that one day the stigma surrounding mental health will be gone.

INREGISTER MAGAZINE - GIVING BACK: YOU AREN’T ALONE PROJECT

As much as social media conceals, it also reveals. Behind expertly edited photos, when people take to their feeds, they share pieces of themselves with their friends, family and audience, even if it is only slight. Usually, these digitally catalogued moments depict joyous times: weddings, anniversaries, holidays, birthdays. However, it’s no secret that there’s much more going on behind the scenes. Chelsea Borruano’s goal is to bring that to light.

Amidst a feed of Photoshopped smiles and filtered backgrounds, the business development director with MESH posted about her struggles with mental health and her continued journey to happiness. “The response was crazy,” she explains. “So many people thanked me for making them not feel alone. It made me realize how many people aren’t getting the help they need.”
While May is Mental Health Awareness Month, this year the topic carries even more weight, as COVID-19 has taken hold of normal life. With people living in nearly constant fear and anxiety about not only contracting or spreading the virus but also the fate of their jobs and futures, Borruano says it’s never been more important to reach out and support one another.
She founded the You Aren’t Alone Project last year with an event that now seems far from conceivable under social distancing guidelines. Inviting artists of all disciplines to share their mental health journeys through paint, dance, poetry and more, the July 2019 exhibition was a wake-up call for awareness in the local area.

“Art is a powerful tool,” says Borruano. The You Aren’t Alone Project uses artistic expression to help members connect with one another.

Living in Quarantine: The After Effects

Written by Chelsea Borruano for Baton Rouge Parents Magazine

In order to escape the Great Plague affecting Cambridge, Newton retreated in isolation to Woolsthorpe where he soon came up with his theories of gravity, optics and calculus.

After a wildfire, landscapes will explode with thousands of flowers known as a superbloom and come back even more beautiful and healthier than before. 

Hurricane Sandy rid Long Island Bay of its polluted water—the constant surge of the tides dispersed toxins in the bay and returned the water cleanliness to levels not seen since the mid-1970s.

Shakespeare wrote “King Lear,” “Macbeth” and “Antony and Cleopatra” as London reeled from an outbreak of the bubonic plague in 1606. 

What a beautiful thought it is that things, and people, can come out of a state of devastation and isolation even stronger than before. 

COVID-19 forced many of us into self-isolation. In this isolated state, emotions can be heightened, and mental health can be gravely affected. A recent review in Psychology Today on the effects of quarantine on individuals points to increased confusion, anger, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and extended periods of grief, sometimes lasting even three years after the end of the quarantine. Stressors range anywhere from longer quarantine duration, inadequate information and supplies, and infection fears, to frustration, boredom, grief, financial loss and stigma.

Of course, people with a history of mental illness are at increased risks, but no one is immune to the mental effects that isolation and fear can have during and after a pandemic. And for some, those effects will last long after the virus is gone. In addition, health care workers and others on the frontlines are facing even more dangers to both their physical and mental health. These workers, especially, will need continued support after this is over.

FACES OF GREATER BATON ROUGE

Baton Rouge Parents Magazine Faces of Baton Rouge

COMMUNITY - YOU AREN'T ALONE LIVE ART EVENT

Live video recording for WAFB morning show
​July 22, 2019 at 7:33 AM CDT - Updated July 22 at 7:33 AM
​www.wafb.com/video/2019/07/22/community-you-arent-alone-live-art-event/?fbclid=IwAR0NumSShLnm7qiGO5wUWA82d6xs4JG2ge0rZ3DdiIJAenuUpygQ86gYeM0

YOU AREN'T ALONE PROJECT LAUNCHES WITH LIVE ART EVENT ON JULY 26

Baton Rouge -- The You Aren’t Alone Project presents it's first Live Art Event, in partnership with Aetna Better Health Louisiana, on July 26 from 7-11 p.m. at Mid City Ballroom, 136 S Acadian Thruway, featuring a culmination of stories from people that are living with, or supporting someone living with, depression and anxiety all interpreted by local artists through visual and performance art⏤the pain, the loss, and the triumph.

The You Aren't Alone Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to forming a social & physical network of ongoing support for mental health and wellness in Baton Rouge and surrounding communities so that no one ever has to feel alone. The project exists to encourage understanding, erase stigmas and to invest in building the right relationships that will continue moving this initiative forward.

Our vision is to be the platform that paves the way for mental and behavioral health in Louisiana to be treated and talked about in the same way as physical health.

This project will kick off the live art event with performances from Airseekers, Terreze Williams, Dane Monic, J Rees, Luisa Cantillo and more all interpreting stories through dance, music, acro movements, storytelling, poetry reading and so much more. These performances will also be translated into live art pieces by Jade Brady.

The space will be filled with visual art interpretations from talented local mixed media artists such as Cheri Fasy and Jade Brady, photographers, Chris Garcia and Jenn Ocken, sculptures by Betsy Seal-Eschete and Jennifer Carwile, paintings from Bibbit Robison, Lauren Clark, Tara Hebert and Lindsay Guidry, jewelry-making by Cabil Gibs and fiber art from Moon Dust Weavings.

We'll also be working with local behavioral health professionals such as Aetna Better Health Louisiana, Oceans Behavioral Health and Baton Rouge General to offer mental health resources and continue the conversation once we leave.

The event is free for ages 21 and older, however registration is required at youarenotaloneart.com/rsvp. Participants will enjoy small bites, drinks and entertainment throughout the night.

We are still looking for partners for the event, but, even more importantly, we'll need people to help us continue and expand on this project after the art show. You can learn more about the event at https://www.youarenotaloneart.com/.

Thank you to our partners, Aetna Better Health Louisiana, AIMCO, ISC, Mind Set Personal Training, JCW and HealthyBR.

WAFB: NON-PROFIT KICKS OFF PROJECT TO EMPHASIZE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH

By Catherine Quant | June 7, 2019 at 10:34 AM CDT - Updated June 7 at 1:11 PMBATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - A new Baton Rouge non-profit organization is kicking off a project surrounding the importance of mental health and wellness.
The You Aren’t Alone Project is dedicated to forming support groups for mental health in the Baton Rouge community. The project aims to show what living with depression and anxiety looks like and to treat mental health in the same way as physical health.
The project, partnering with Aetna Better Health, is kicking off with a live art show at the Mid City Ballroom on July 26. The event will include a variety of artists and stories of people living with depression and anxiety.
“It really did start off as just an event, a live art event, and now it’s become so much bigger than that,” said Chelsea Borruano, the event coordinator. “All the pieces are kind of like an interpretation of mental health struggles or stories that people have submitted about their journey through mental health.”
Local behavioral health professionals will also be available to offer mental health resources to attendees.
“The most important thing is I want everyone in that room to know when they leave there, that they are not alone in the struggle,” Borruano said.
The event is still accepting artist submissions and is looking for partners to help expand the conversation.

TALK 107.3:CHELSEA BORRUANO WITH YOU ARE NOT ALONE PROJECT

Brian spoke with Chelsea Borruano to discuss the You Are Not Alone Project. The You Are Not Alone Project is a nonprofit organization focused on forming a social and physical support system for mental health in Baton Rouge. Chelsea talked about what the organization does and she explains what advancements they will make in the future. This project will kick off with a live art event held at Mid City Ballroom on July 26 from 7-11 p.m. Chelsea tells us that local artists will be there to interpret things such as depression and anxiety. They will also be working with behavioral health professionals to provide mental health resources. Hear the full interview here.

COUNTRY ROADS MAGAZINE: THE YOU AREN'T ALONE PROJECT, EXPRESSING THE EXPERIENCES OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY THROUGH LIVE ART

What is remarkable about depression is that even though it affects over 18% of our population (forty million adults a year), the experience itself is remarkably isolating.

Baton Rouge's YouAren'tAlone Project hopes to break through that isolation, to talk about it in the open. For its inaugural event, a collective of local artists will present a body of diverse works depicting the stories of those suffering from anxiety and depression, literally showing what it looks like through visual, literary, and performing arts. Free for ages 21 and older. Refreshments will be provided. 7 pm–11 pm at Mid City Ballroom, 136 South Acadian Thwy.
​
By starting a conversation, the organization also hopes to start a community, a support network of survivors, those struggling, supporters, and everyone in between.
[Read more about the YouAren'tAlone Project in this story from our May 2019 issue.]

BR PROUD: YOU AREN’T ALONE PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS STORIES OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY THROUGH ART

by: Carly Laing
Posted: Apr 9, 2019 / 02:33 PM UTC / Updated: Apr 9, 2019 / 02:33 PM UTC
You Aren’t Alone Project bringing awareness to living with depression and anxiety.
You Aren’t Alone is a new project in the Capital City that highlights what it’s like to live with depression and anxiety and reminds those suffering that you are not alone in this battle.
Right now organizers are looking for people willing to share their story and have it displayed through art at an event on July, 26 at the Mid City Ballroom from 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Organizers are also seeking local artists interested in bringing these stories life.
For more information on the You Aren’t Alone Project or to learn how to be a part of this project click here.
The deadline for story application is May, 19.

COUNTRY ROADS MAGAZINE: THE YOU AREN'T ALONE PROJECT

Seeking stories from people all around the world who are living with depression and anxiety
BY JORDAN LAHAYE
APRIL 24, 2019


Depression, anxiety, and mental health in general have steadily risen in the public consciousness—in fact, May is National Mental Health Awareness Month—but when it comes to the complexities of individual experiences, language can, at times, fall short. In hopes of giving people an alternative stage to tell their stories, Baton Rouge’s Chelsea Borruano is launching a new mental health awareness initiative called The YouAren’tAlone Project.


The idea presented itself to Borruano while she sat in the audience at the Manship Theatre this past March. Baton Rouge’s contemporary dance company, Of Moving Colors, was performing its latest production, Tell Me More, which spotlighted the personal stories of local community leaders and activists.


Borruano said the performance moved her and brought to mind her own experience in storytelling, how various opportunities to express herself and her own experiences—particularly with depression and anxiety—had helped her to work through them and to grow. Art as self-expression is a potent tool, she realized, for rooting out specific, complicated feelings—stories perhaps better communicated through movement, color, and sound.


In collaboration with twenty local artists, Borruano and her team are soliciting stories from people all around the world who are living with depression and anxiety. Together, the artists will create a series of performing and visual artworks to be presented at The YouAren’tAlone Live Art Event, which will be held on July 26 at Mid City Ballroom.
“We want to bring to life what these experiences look like, to give people a platform to tell their stories and to also raise awareness about mental health issues for people who don’t understand, but want to,” said Borruano. “A lot of the artists are using this as a way to deal with their own issues as well. It’s super collaborative and all encompassing.”
The project won’t end with the art, though. Borruano said that she wants to use this project to develop a network of support for survivors, those struggling, and supporters.


“I think mental health is something on a lot of people’s minds, and that a lot of people believe needs to be talked about, but the platform just hasn’t been presented just yet,” said Borruano. “With the rising art community we’ve seen in Baton Rouge, it felt right to marry the two.”


Until May 19, stories for The YouAren’tAlone Project can be submitted at youarenotaloneart.com/tell-my-story, and artists (including visual artists, musicians, songwriters, performers, photographers, dancers, writers, and more) can still sign up to participate by emailing Borruano at cborruano1@gmail.com. Learn more about the project and the upcoming event at youarenotaloneart.com.