NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 16, 2026
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Kyra Kjeldahl, Public Health Educator, St. Louis County Public Health (Virginia), KjeldahlK1@stlouiscountymn.gov
Casey Mickelson, Public Health Educator, St. Louis County Public Health (Duluth), MickelsonC@stlouiscountymn.gov
Cassie Liubakka, Coalition Co-Chair, Family Services Collaborative of St. Louis County, info@fscmn.org
Kindness campaign continues to bloom across the Range
Kindness Yard Sign Campaign update
The campaign of kindness, initiated last May, continues to gain momentum across the Iron Range. The campaign, coordinated by the St. Louis County Suicide Prevention Coalition as part of National Mental Health month, has been so well received that organizers ran out of yard signs twice this summer. Nearly 600 signs have been distributed, with a waiting list of individuals and businesses wanting to join in spreading a supportive message. Given the demand, the coalition is distributing a new set of signs and posters featuring the popular “You matter” message and a QR code that links to a website of local resources that promote wellness.
The fresh batch of signs and posters are now available for pickup at the libraries in Virginia, Eveleth, Hoyt Lakes, and Hibbing during regular business hours. Signs remain available at Cook’s Country Connection and may be made available in other locations as resources and opportunities allow. Anyone on the Iron Range who is interested in displaying a sign, in their yard, on a windowsill, or in their business, may pick one up during normal business hours.
“The requests for new signs kept coming in throughout the summer” Coalition Chair and St. Louis County Program Coordinator Josh Gorham said. “So, we found funding to purchase more and are taking additional steps to layer additional strategies to complement the yard sign messages.”
More important than the number of signs is the impact they are having. Web analytics show that 378 people have visited the resource website linked on the yard signs to learn about resources available to them in their community since the yard signs were first distributed in June.
In addition to making more signs available, the St. Louis County Suicide Prevention Coalition is seeking feedback from anyone who placed a Kindness Campaign yard sign in their yard. “We’d like to learn why you chose to put up a sign and what the campaign means to you” says Cassie Liubakka, Coalition Co-Chair and director of Family Services Collaborative of St. Louis County.
People can share their reason for putting up a sign here.
The Arrowhead Behavioral Health Initiative, Range Mental Health Center, Ely Behavioral Health Network with the Minnesota Department of Health, and St. Louis County Public Health have contributed funding to support this campaign.
About the St. Louis County Suicide Prevention Coalition
The St. Louis County Suicide Prevention Coalition kicked off in September 2025 with the mission of preventing suicide and promoting mental well-being through community collaboration, evidence-informed strategies, and policy advocacy that creates lasting, systemic change. The coalition is a collaborative of community members, nonprofits, and local government health organizations. Three action-orientation subcommittees help carry out the coalition’s mission including the Resources, Awareness, and Education subcommittee, the Policy and Advocacy subcommittee, and community engagement subcommittee. To be added to receive email updates, e-mail St. Louis County Public Health at communitywellbeing@stlouiscountymn.gov Interested in joining the coalition or a subcommittee? Email KjeldahlK1@stlouiscountymn.gov or MickelsonC@stlouiscountymn.gov
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