South Shore Company Makes 'Signs Of Hope' For Workers On Coronavirus Front Lines
HANOVER (CBS) -- Melanie and Brian O'Neil are continuing to do what they do best, make signs. But these days, they're spelling out messages of hope.
"Now more than ever with hearts for healthcare people wanna show their unity, to show were all going through this together and we felt like we could make some signs to show this off and it would be a great way to do it," Brian and Melanie O'Neil told WBZ-TV.
The O'Neil's own Rustic Marlin, a Hanover-based sign shop. They felt compelled to help front line workers during the coronavirus pandemic. On a limited staff, they began producing small wooden signs that can be hung on your front door to show appreciation for medical workers and essential employees.
"It's amazing when you ride around the South Shore where we are located. Almost every house has something hanging," said Melanie O'Neil.
The signs have themes of hope, humor and Americana, and are being sold at outdoor kiosks around the south shore.
"We built outdoor kiosks, they're self-service. You go and take the product that you want, you can pay with a check or we use Venmo. It works out quite well for everybody; everybody gets their stuff - no human contact," Brian O'Neil explained.
Kiosk signs cost $20 and 100% of the profits are going toward buying meals and supporting local small business employees who have lost their jobs. So far, the O'Neil's have raised close to $30,000.
"We just thought this was going to be something simple. We've had people from North Carolina and Florida as well as Colorado, Arizona and California order signs."
The O'Neil's are also selling blank signs that people can take home to paint themselves.
"Families who are home with young children are using it as a way to take a ride, pick out the signs together write special messages and leave them. That has been so touching, we really love that part of the whole thing," Melanie O'Neil said.
The couple is also encouraging people to purchase a sign to give to a front line worker. Nurses at Mass General Hospital and Boston Children's Hospital posed with their signs this week.
"I think the first few photos that we got from a group of nurses just gave us chills, beyond speechless because they are the true heroes," Melanie O'Neil said. "We are just working to create hope for everybody and then when you see those photos it really hits home why we are doing this. Many people come and buy handfuls and they go hand them out to nurses, teachers, or other people who have touched their lives and it's amazing."
The most popular sign right now?
"The most popular is 'I love you to the fridge and back,' cause people feel like that's the only place they're going these days."
For a list of outdoor Kiosk location check Rustic Marlins Instagram page here.
Signs can also be ordered online at their website.
