BAY VILLAGE, Ohio — Walk around Bay Village right now, and you will see several signs of encouragement just west of Huntington Beach.
They were a gift from Diane Rehor’s friend in Georgia.
“And I’m like, ‘Now what do I do with this?” she said.
She decided to share them with her community, free of charge, and placed them in the yards of neighbors who approved.
What happened next surprised her.
“I talked about 20 minutes with a lady who lost her husband, another one who was going through a tragedy,” Rehor said. “One person said, ‘This has led to wonderful conversations in our house.’”
Messages include such simple phrases as “Don’t Give Up” and “You Matter,” and are printed in large black letters against a white background. There is no marketing or website information on them.
It is the latest in a movement that began out west, in Oregon, nearly 3 years ago when Amy Wolff heard about a spike in teen suicides in her district.
She printed 20 signs and encouraged people to put them outside the high school.
“It’s so simple and anonymous and pure,” Wolff said. “Whether it’s an addiction, a lost job, a lost loved one, it’s so simple that people can see themselves in the messaging, whatever they’re going through.”
The mission has since exploded.
Today there are 20,000 signs in 50 states with 1,000 in Ohio alone. They are also overseas in 26 countries and in different languages.
Rehor said she will likely gift hers to another neighborhood, so that others can enjoy them too.
More information on the “Don’t Give Up Campaign” can be found at https://www.dontgiveupsigns.com/
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicide or depression, help is available by clicking the following links:
Suicide hotline: 1-800-273-8255
Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County
Online Behavioral Health Screenings (ADAMHS)
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychological Association
Anxiety Disorders Association of America
Black Mental Health Network
Carmella Rose – to help people access quality medical care
Center for Cognition and Recovery – Cognitive Enhancement Therapy
Community Shares – supports social justice organizations through workplace giving programs
Connecting for Kids
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
The Emily Program – Formerly Cleveland Center for Eating Disorders
Frontline Services – 24 hr. Crisis Hotline- crisis care, mental health, and vital supportive service
Healthfinder.gov
Hopewell – Therapeutic farm community for adults with mental illness
Jewish Family Support Association
JUST Listen Wellness Coaching
LGBT Community Center Of Greater Cleveland
Magnolia Clubhouse – promotes vocational, educational, social, and personal achievements by providing opportunity, support and hope.
Mental Health Advocacy Coalition – awareness and advocacy of mental illness
Mental Health America
Milestones Autism Organization
Murtis Taylor Human Services System
Ohio Mental Health Services and Addiction Services
NAMI National
National Institute of Mental Health
Network of Care – Interactive site for resources
Personality Disorder Awareness Network
PLAN – Planned Lifetime Assistance of Northeast Ohio
Recovery International – Northeast Ohio Recovery
Recovery Resources – outpatient mental health, substance abuse-prevention & treatment
Red Treehouse – a welcoming and vibrant online community resource
Schizophrenia.com
Best Practices in Schizophrenia Treatment
Signature Health – Connections
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Suicide Postvention Response Team