Yard Signs Provide Encouragement in Wake of Suicide

Amy Wolff was saddened by a suicide in her community so she made yard signs to encourage her neighbors; you won’t believe the impact.

She did everything wrong; and it worked.

She didn’t have a website. She didn’t create a mission or vision statement. The colors she chose were too stark, too plain; the phrases too short and too platitudinal. She had no extra time, no business experience and no budget. Even the idea, that simple yard signs might make an actual difference, seemed highly unlikely.

And yet, in April of 2017 after learning of another suicide in her community, Amy Wolff knew she had to do something.

Amy wanted to remind individuals in her community to keep going, not lose hope, and recognize the value of their life. She wanted them to know they were not alone and that in spite of their current adversity, better days remained ahead.

So she bought a couple dozen white yard signs with phrases like: “Don’t give up,” “You are enough” and  “You are not alone” printed in black letters. She drove around her neighborhood, knocked on neighbors’ doors and asked if she could place signs in their yards. There was no branding or website on the signs, no hidden agenda and no desire for personal attention or money.

A concerned neighbor created signs to prevent suicide, these are the unbelievable stories behind the lives she touched.

Amy just wanted to offer encouragement.

Word began to spread about the signs and, to her surprise, people not only liked them, but wanted more. What began as a simple offering to share encouragement in her community grew around her city, then state, and then country. Today, it is a global movement, with more than a million signs printed in dozens of languages. And it all began with the desire to impact a single life.

But what impact could one lady with simple yard signs actually have in the world? Well, below are just a few of more than a thousand individuals who have reached out to Amy to share the profoundly positive impact these signs have had on their lives:

• “So when I say your signs saved my life, I mean I feel like your signs pulled me out from the feeling of complete hopelessness…”
• “I am a gay man and often thought of taking my life…”
• “I am an eating disorder dietitian and cannot tell you how important these messages are…”
• “38 days ago I had a heart attack. I was in a pretty dark and scary place but your signs gave me some much-needed encouragement…”
• “I’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes and need to make changes. I found myself in a lonely situation…”
• “I just had a woman knock on my door, crying and thanking me for the signs in my yard. She lives up the road and said her son had attempted suicide and these signs were in the yard the day they came home from the hospital. They drive by every day and for her, her son, and her daughter – the reminder is profound.”

Four years ago, Amy was saddened and motivated by a tragic suicide in her community. She wished someone would do something to make a difference.

Here is the encouragement you need to take your next right step to create positive change in your life and community.

The reason more than a million signs have shipped from her small town in Oregon and countless lives have been positively impacted, though, is because rather than waiting for someone else to take action or some other time that worked better for her, she took action to make the world a little better one life at a time.

My friends, how often do you think of making a difference, but just don’t take action? How often do you think of calling an old friend, writing a letter of gratitude, reviving a relationship that has grown distant? How often do you see a challenge in your family, a need in your community, or a problem at your place of employment and wish someone would do something about it?

These simple phrases encouraged a community and helped some overcome suicidal ideation.

Today, rather than wish, act.

You may get everything wrong. But the simple act of courageously taking the next right step may lead to significance and impact you can’t yet imagine.

You are enough.
Don’t Give up.
You got this.
You are not alone.
Your mistakes don’t define you.
It’s not too late.
One day at a time.
Tu vales.

And the best is yet to come.

This is your day. Live Inspired.