Healdsburg, California – West Side Elementary School offers all the inspiration you will ever need. With the help of two art teachers, their students have set up a toll-free hotline where callers receive unmotivated motivational messages.
“Hello, welcome to Peptoc, a West Side School public art project. If you’re feeling crazy, frustrated, or nervous, press 1,” says Hotline. Among the cheerful suggestions: “If you’re nervous, go get your wallet and spend on ice cream and shoes!”
Whatever your concern, they have a solution.
“If you need words of encouragement, press 2,” says another message. “Be thankful for yourself.”
Whatever your insecurity, they will regain your trust.
“If you need a lively children’s talk, press 3,” says the hotline. “You can do it!”
The hotline is a creation of teachers Asherah Weiss and Jessica Martin, who thought family and friends might enjoy calling the number. They could not have imagined what happened. Peptoc is now receiving up to 9,000 calls per hour, about half a million calls in total, and they are counting.
“It was very shocking,” Weiss told CBS News.
The kids were just as surprised: “It became a big thing,” “It spread all over the world,” “I didn’t expect it to go so viral.”
CBS News
“You have made a gift to the world,” Martin told them.
And teachers say it’s more than just these messages.
“Adults support children, but we don’t really celebrate how much they support us. And being able to be comforted by them gives us great hope that maybe we’ll all do well,” Martin told CBS News.
And if you never doubt it, you know who to call.
If you need some inspiration, you can call the toll-free hotline at 707-998-8410.
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