‘Don’t Give Up’ campaign aimed at lifting spirits

Driving around Bend, you may have noticed uplifting signs in front yards with kind words written on them. They’re aimed at people who are suffering from depression, or just having a bad day.

Bend resident Judie Geiss ordered a few signs and put them in her front yard on Northeast Eighth Street. She said she’s had people come up to her and say how much the signs mean to them.

“A man who was suffering from PTSD stopped by right here,” she said Tuesday. “He came to my front door and said, ‘Can I talk to you?’ He said it wasn’t that they saved his life, but they helped him get through the day.”

These signs come from Newberg, Oregon, where Amy Wolff wanted to show people down on their luck that their lives matter.

“I heard about the suicide rates in our local high school,” Wolff said. “I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, what can we do?’ It’s a helpless feeling on both sides, and as someone who wants to support others, what can I do to spread hope? And that’s where the signs were born.”

Wolff and her family put up about 20 signs around Newberg in May. Since then, she’s received countless messages and emails from people who say she’s helped them.

“People (are) saying, ‘These signs helped me not lose faith in my marriage.’ ‘These signs helped me — I’m fighting cancer, and it’s such a good reminder to not lose my fight.'”

The signs have made their way from Newberg across the country and even to Europe, Africa and Australia.

You can check out the website here.