Response Magic “Never Give Up” is such an empowering phrase. I can remember my father always encouraging my brother and I always do our best. My dad invested so much in my life that I feel like I owe him the honor and respect to “Never Give Up”.
I have such a healthy respect for life, liberty and family that it’s hard to imagine someone taking their own life. But more and more we are experiencing such a high rate of suicides in our country. And specifically in our teen population. You begin by asking the question what is causing this? Is it the breakdown of the family? Or is it the rise of fatherless homes? Maybe it is easy access to drugs and pornography? Or could it be moral and spiritual deficiencies in our communities? But we must “never give up”.
It could be anyone of those things or a combination of all or some portions of that described above. But the hurt, the pain and sense of loss when a teen takes their own life begs us to find a solution to this tragic epidemic. So we must never give up!
Dad posts inspirational yard signs around Seattle community. He was rocked by teen suicides in the area.
- By KATIE KINDELANviaGMAMay 29, 2019, 1:35 PM EST
How can you help a suicidal person! Never Give Up
As you move about the Seattle area chances are you will come across dozens of signage in people’s yard with inspirational messages like “Never Give Up” and “You Matter.”
Kindelan states that, “Colby Wallace started the yard sign movement. Cory took action after hearing about a spate of teen suicides in his Seattle neighborhood.
Colby said that and I quote, “You feel helpless,”. Wallace is the father of 5-year-old and 9-year-old daughters. “I have girls who are young, but they’re going to be teenagers soon and it’s really, really scary.”
More from – Never Give Up
Discussing the recent suicides with fellow parents. Wallace heard about a nonprofit organization in Oregon called Never Give Up. This movement was started by a local Seattle mom. She became concerned when she discovered this high rate of teen suicides in her area.
Major Movement
They organized and began the movement by putting up yard signs and established a nonprofit organization. Then they began to sell items such as pins, pencils, decals that had an inspirational message on them. .(MORE: Life after attempting suicide: What 4 survivors want you to know)
In order to get this movement started Wallace and a friend ordered 15 signs and 200 bracelets from Don’t Give Up. So to gain public notice and attention they decided to place these items throughout their neighborhood placing them in public spaces. But in particular they targeted his daughter’s elementary school.
But before getting started they contacted the school’s principal and counselor to get their OK and blessings. In fact Wallace was permitted to put a piece in the school news bulletin about his signs. Wallace said his main point was to just be able to put a positive message out on what they were doing.” To promote the idea of “Never Give Up”.Use Social Media
The amazing thing is that Wallace’s signs (Never Give Up) made a quick and impressive impact on social media as well as in local parent groups. And he was so overwhelmed by the positive response that he received .(MORE: How your coffee date can protect your mental health, plus 5 other tips you need to read now
Kindelan states here that, “At the elementary level, the people who seem to be affected the most are the parents themselves, which is really important,” he said. “I truly believe that if the parents are getting help and support, it spreads – motivated to never give up.”
So for the state of Washington. Suicide comes in second place as the leading cause of death for youths between 10 and 24 years old. Chiefly according to the Washington Department of Health.
In fact nationally, suicide ranks as the 10th leading cause of death for all ages in the U.S. since 2008. Specifically according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Be Alert
In May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month, Wallace purchased nearly 200 more signs (Never Give Up) due to interest from fellow parents and neighbors. He also started a GoFundMe appeal to raise money for more signs.
“Its roots come from suicide but its message is across so many different things,” Wallace said. “If the signs can turn someone’s mindset around. That maybe they act more kind throughout the world. In fact it could create some healing to make the world a little better place.”
Amy Wolff who started the Don’t Give Up sign movement. She has been “bombarded” with orders since Wallace’s signs in Seattle went viral.
“What’s beautiful is that there are several people with Colby’s big heart around the country. That is doing the same thing,” she said. In fact “I’m overwhelmed by the impact of the movement.
Wolff runs her nonprofit out of her home in Newberg, Oregon. And is now working to scale up because of the demand. She launched. Never Give Up in 2017. In fact she, her husband and their two daughters hatched a mission to anonymously post 20 signs in neighbors’ yards.</
Be Positive – Never Give Up
Kindelan again states that,”I had serious doubts about the signs (Never Give Up),” she said. However this is the dumbest idea I’ve ever had. I thought to myself as I put the signs in my trunk. But sometimes you just choose to do something positive and push the doubts aside.”
Wallace said he hopes his two young daughters not only carry forth the messages on the signs. But also see how their family, like the Wolffs, took action and made a difference.
“I hope they see that you can have an idea, you can take action and actually do something,” he said. “When we put them up. I had no idea what people would think, but we believed in it enough to do it.”
“I hope they take that into adulthood,” Wallace added. “Be the change you want to see.”
If you are in crisis or know someone in crisis. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. You can reach Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 (U.S.) or 877-330-6366 (Canada) and The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386.
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