A youth-led mental health initiative based in Omaha is gaining national support.
The Hiya Youth Leadership Network, a teen-driven organization focused on mental health awareness and peer support, has been awarded a 2026 Hershey Heartwarming Young Heroes Grant through Youth Service America, according to application materials submitted in March.
The grant will fund the group’s “Check On Your People Youth Mental Health Project,” an awareness campaign designed to reach teens experiencing stress, anxiety, and isolation. Led by 17-year-old founder Alejandra Wells, the initiative will mobilize more than 100 youth volunteers during Youth Service Month to assemble and distribute at least 200 mental health care kits across the Omaha area.
Each Hiya Care Kit will include bracelets, stickers, mental health resources, and handwritten notes from peers, small but intentional items meant to remind teens they are not alone.
“When a teen receives a bracelet or a note of encouragement, it reminds them that someone cares,” said Alejandra Wells, Hiya Founder. Wells wrote in the application, citing her own experiences with anxiety and loneliness as motivation for launching Hiya.
The need for the project is backed by both national and local data. Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death among young people, and Nebraska’s youth suicide rate exceeds the national average, according to public health data referenced in the application.
Organizers say the project is designed not only to support recipients, but also to empower teens leading the work.
Through partnerships with local organizations, including mentoring programs, community centers, and schools, Hiya will distribute kits to young people who may benefit from additional encouragement and connection. Youth volunteers will also play a central role in planning, assembling, and delivering the kits, reinforcing a peer-to-peer model of support.
The effort will culminate during Global Youth Service Day weekend, when volunteers will gather in Omaha for a large-scale packing event.
Supporters say the project reflects a broader shift in how communities are approaching teen mental health, placing greater emphasis on early connection, youth leadership, and community-based care.
Local leaders and media outlets are expected to be invited to the event, with organizers aiming to amplify the message behind the campaign: a simple but urgent call to action for teens to check in on one another.
As youth mental health concerns continue to rise nationwide, initiatives like Hiya’s highlight the growing role of young people not just as participants in the conversation but as leaders shaping solutions.