Signs Of Hope Are Spreading Across The Nation, But The Story Behind Them Is Heartbreaking
A lot of us have a habit of thinking that the cosmos is sending us a message through the signs we read on our way somewhere.
Imagine sitting in a car and you see a huge billboard sign that reads, “Suicide Doesn’t Have To Claim 12 Lives A Week”, doesn’t it make you wonder why it was put there in the first place? Doesn’t it make you think that maybe the world needs a boost of positivity to stop people from meeting an untimely death? When I read that sign, I realized that depression can become a serious health condition, which can lead a person to suicide. But does depression really claim 12 lives a week? This sign was put up in Lawrence, Massachusettes, but here’s a shocking fact – according to the World Health Organization, about 800,000 people die to suicide every year, which is approximately 15,400 lives a week. Yes, let that sink in.
So, what’s the best way to help people come out of depression? How can we scream messages of hope without making a sound? Yard signs! Meet Amy Wolff, a 36-year-old mother of two living in Newberg, Oregano, who came up with a positive way to give hope to her town of 25,000 people grieving the loss of two students from a high school and four alumni to suicide in 2017. According to local news, apart from the six suicides, six more teens attempted suicide in a span of two weeks. Wolff, who had lost her teenage brother in an accident 20 years ago, knew the pain of dealing with the death of a loved one and felt compelled to address her town’s grief with yard signs.
Wolff requested a friend, who is also a graphic designer, to design 20 simple yard signs with messages of hope printed on both sides in bold black letters. Once the signs were printed, Wolff, her husband, and two young daughters set out on a stealth mission to plant them anywhere and everywhere around Newberg. At first, Wolff thought people wouldn’t care about the signs, but since it was all done anonymously, she had nothing to lose. So while no one knew who planted the signs, they all agreed that the signs helped them tremendously. Many thought that the signs “spoke” to them, and was only meant for them to read at just the right time. When Wolff saw the overwhelmingly positive reaction to her signs, she decided to step forward and spread hope publicly.
Within a week, Wolff received 750 orders for new yard signs and what started as a happy mistake soon became a global movement called the “Don’t Give Up Movement”. Newberg’s yard signs have morphed into temporary tattoos, wristbands, pencils, decals, stamps, pin, and postcards and are all being sold at cost price. Wolff’s products have spread to all 50 states in the United States and to over 26 countries in several different languages! To help tackle the emotional challenges of isolation, the Don’t Give Up Movement offered to send handwritten letters of hope and support to people in quarantine, and within 24 hours, they received 400 requests.
According to you, what is the best way to deal with depression? Let us know in the comments below. Don’t forget to share this article with your friends.
