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After hundreds of notes filled with loving and inspiring words were ripped off Foresthill Bridge, Brittney and Jon Hendricks are continuing their mission of sending a message to those who are contemplating suicide.
Last month, vandals also left hateful words on the bridge that said things like “I hate you” and “no one cares."
“Maybe they’re the ones who need the note more than anyone,” said Jon Hendricks.
With the help of the community, the Auburn couple spent Sunday writing more notes and posting them on the bridge.
“I wanted to help because I struggled with suicide,” said Melissa Ingle, one of the community members who helped with the notes. “We lost our son in 2017 so I struggled, and my option was the bridge, so I’m here in hopes to prevent that.”
Foresthill Bridge, which has long been known as a place where many people commit suicide, is covered with more than 2,500 colorful pieces of paper, each carrying a powerful message.
“We've got four confirmed people so far who actually went out to the bridge, had no idea that we had done the notes, saw them, and then decided that they didn't want to jump,” Hendricks explained.
Hendricks says they started the “Notes of Hope” project over the summer to let those who are thinking about suicide know they are loved and cared for.
In just a few months, they’ve had people from across the nation join their mission.
“I just got several packages this week from Florida,” Hendricks said. “I got one from Rhode Island of people who have seen our messages online and wrote notes themselves to be put on our bridge.”
The Hendricks say they will not let those against their mission stop them from doing whatever they can to let people having suicidal thoughts know they have a purpose.
“Everybody's life has meaning and value,” Hendricks added. “Suicide is something that is close to me as a survivor. I’ve been down that road more than once, and I wish I would've had some notes that somebody had written that told me to pull myself out of that dark place because it was hard to do it on my own.”
For a list of suicide prevention resources, click here.
Follow the conversation on Facebook with Daniela Pardo.