BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – The Raleigh County Prevention Coalition is dedicated to helping youth avoid or abstain from engaging in substance use. Mental Health Awareness Month (May) is a key part of that.
So they launched a yard sign initiative to encourage and inspire the community to take care of themselves and their mental health.
The positive affirmations resonated.
“It’s very powerful,” said Park Middle School seventh-grader Emerson Waldron. “To remind people to be themselves, and they can get through whatever they’re going through.”
Local youth chose the series of yard signs, including affirmations and art designs.
“They felt these are important quotes to them and the community to know,” said Executive Director Kellie Gunnoe. ” It was neat to kind of get inside their heads and allow them to express themselves.”
Checking in on your mental health is crucial for well-being, recognizing triggers and reaching out for help as needed. Alyssa Lively’s sign addresses body image.
“I know about people struggling with their body, and they’re like, ‘I don’t like it,’ but they should, because it’s their body,” the teen said. “They should love it. I think it’s amazing to let people know they’re okay.”
For Ayden Penn, inner truth and spirit are more important than outside opinions and societal pressures.
“The ghost as the soul,” Penn’s quote read. “You don’t have to worry about what anybody else says about you. So like you’re stronger than your surroundings.”
You can catch the yard signs on the front lawn of Park Middle School until May 31, 2025.
“Then they’ll be able to take their sign home and post it in their yard or put it in their bedroom,” said Gunnoe. “Wherever it’s important to them, and encourage and inspire themselves however long they decide to keep it.”
Find the strength to face whatever life throws your way.
“You can get through it,” Waldron said. “You are living for yourself. Not everybody else.”
