W E H AV E M O R E G O O D N E W S
Peer Support Group Helps Teens Combat Mental Illness
Mom Launched Nonprofit That Creates Inspiring Yard Signs
A San Francisco-based nonprofit is help-
Amy Wolff felt overwhelmed and hope-
ing teens deal with distress through on-
less about the suicide rates in her Or-
line peer support groups. According to the
egon town. She set out with her family
National Center for Children in Poverty,
to stake 20 inspiring and hopeful yard
about 20 percent of adolescents have a di-
signs around her community with phras-
agnosable mental health disorder.
es including “Don’t Give Up,” “You Are Not Alone,” “You Are Enough,” and many more. Her movement quickly grew, and now her signs have shipped to all 50 U.S. states and more than 25 countries in several languages.
Social media and screen time are in-
Wolff sells the products at-cost, meaning
creasingly linked to mental illness in teens,
she makes zero money from sales. She sim-
but the group, called Give Us The Floor,
ply wants to create products that encour-
leverages the power of social media to do
age her community. Among other products
good by hosting closed Snapchat groups,
aside from yard signs, the organization also
providing anonymity in a teen-only, online
creates car decals, pencils, temporary tat-
community. Trained teens facilitate confi-
toos, and stickers.
dential chats, and the members help each
“I just had a woman knock on my door,”
other with common mental health and so-
writes a woman on the organization’s web-
cial issues such as isolation, anxiety, body
site. “She began to cry and thank me for
image, bullying and relationships.
the signs in my yard. She lives up the road
After a year of beta testing, 94 percent
and said her son had attempted suicide and
of teens say their chat has helped them feel
these signs were in the yard the day they
less lonely, and 97 percent say their group
came home from the hospital. She drives
has helped them improve the way they feel
by every day and for her, her son, and her
about themselves.
daughter — the reminder is profound."
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