Everyday Greatness: She Spreads Hopeā€”One Sign at a Time

She created yard signs with positive messages to respond to a local suicide crisis. Now her signs encourage people facing a wide range of problems.

Amy Wolff

Who she is: Amy Wolff, a 36-year-old public speaking coach in Newberg, Oregon, is the founder of the Donā€™t Give Up Movement, a nonprofit sowing seeds of love and hope through inspirational yard signs and other items. In May 2017, Amy was stunned to learn from a church friend and teacher that the school district had lost two students and four former students to suicide that year. Says Amy, ā€œI couldnā€™t do nothing.ā€

She recalled a crazy idea sheā€™d had two years before: yard signs as a way of encouraging people. She asked her friend Jessica Brittell, a graphic designer, to create and print 20 signs with the messages ā€œDonā€™t Give Up,ā€ ā€œYour Mistakes Do Not Define Youā€ and ā€œYou Are Worthy of Love.ā€

Amy, her husband and their two daughters knocked on doors around Newberg, asking strangers to put the signs in their yards. Everyone said yes! The community was soon buzzing about the signs. Within a week, Amy had sold 150 signs at cost.

What she does: Amy added new messagesā€”ā€œYou Matter,ā€ ā€œYou Are Not Aloneā€ā€”as well as wristbands, stickers, car decals, cards and other ā€œtokens of hope and love.ā€ Schools, businesses and churches got on board too. Besides supporting those at risk for suicide, the movement has comforted people facing health problems, isolation, job loss, marital issues and abuse.

Jason Boyd, assistant principal of Seaside High in Seaside, Oregon, purchased 225 signs to post at school. Students tell him, ā€œThe signs help me make it through the day.ā€ Those whoā€™ve staked signs in their yards have found notes from passersby, thanking them for the inspiration. More than 701,000 items have been distributed in all 50 states and 27 countries.

 

Why she does it: When Amy was 14, she witnessed her older brother drown. She realized that life could be short and resolved to make hers count. With Donā€™t Give Up, Amy wasnā€™t looking to create a movement but simply taking action. ā€œWhat I know is that people need help,ā€ she says. ā€œWhat I know is that Iā€™m willing.ā€

How she does it: Donā€™t Give Up doesnā€™t do any marketing. ā€œItā€™s love with no strings attached,ā€ says Amy. The movement has spread mainly through people spotting the signs and by word of mouth. Friends on a cross-country trip left decals and cards in restaurants, stores and rest stops.

Jane and Peter Mellers heard about the signs shortly after their son Danielā€™s suicide and were moved to buy 30 signs and more than 100 wristbands. ā€œIt feels as if God is working through Amy and the signs,ā€ Peter says. ā€œAnd that a little bit of Daniel is represented in these messages.ā€

How you can do it: Look for ways to spread hope and love in your daily life. Even small acts of kindness can make a difference. Buy a stranger a cup of coffee. Compliment a server. Believe you always have something to offerā€”and do it unconditionally. As Amy says, ā€œLife is messy, but weā€™re in this together!ā€

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