Building a Wall of Unity, One Sticky Note at a Time

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - At 16, Erin Mak has grown up in a world where nearly everyone is connected by phones, text messages and social media.

Yet she's noticed something about all those connections: People can still feel terribly alone.

"I feel like a lot of people are feeling increasingly more isolated, not because there's not people surrounding them, but because they don't feel that they can reach out," she said.

Her response is decidedly low-tech: a wall where strangers leave handwritten messages of kindness, encouragement and hope, reminding one another that they matter.

This week, Mak is bringing that idea to the San Mateo County Center in Redwood City as part of United Against Hate Week, Oct. 18-24. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday is expected to vote on a proclamation declaring the week a time when "differences are celebrated, and opportunities for connection, understanding, and collaboration are encouraged."

The "Unity Wall," as Mak calls it, invites anyone passing through the lobby of 500 County Center to write a message for someone they may never meet. Visitors are encouraged to stop and read what others have written.

For Mak, a junior at Crystal Springs Uplands School in Hillsborough, the idea began several years ago with a question much bigger than a school assignment: What gives life meaning?

She had been reading Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, a novel about a boy searching for answers to that question. Mak began thinking about her own purpose and the importance of kindness, particularly toward oneself.

She had seen people leave encouraging messages on sticky notes and decided to try something similar. She created a wall in her bedroom and invited friends and family members to add their thoughts.

It might have remained a personal project. But when Mak entered high school, she noticed how much time students spent on their phones and began wondering whether her idea could help people feel more connected.

"I wanted to create something," she said, "that people could tangibly realize that they weren't alone."

She tested the idea at the Menlo Park Library, where visitors contributed more than 100 handwritten messages.

What began as a wall in her bedroom has grown into a nonprofit project with dozens of installations in libraries, community centers, schools and other public places.

Some visitors write paragraphs. Children sometimes contribute just a few words. Mak reads the messages after each installation, and certain ones stay with her.

One person wrote: "Do you climb a mountain for the world to see, or for you to see the world?"

Another offered this reminder: "Don't worry about the future ahead of you. That's not your job. Your job is to be in the present."

"I think just seeing the notes really makes you feel loved, even if you might not know the people," she said.

The Unity Wall will be available to visitors in the lobby of 500 County Center in Redwood City from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays through Friday, Oct. 23.

Go to https://www.smcgov.org/ceo/united-against-hate-week-2026 for additional United Against Hate Week events.

About San Mateo County
Established in 1856, the County of San Mateo stretches from the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco Bay and includes 20 cities and rural communities. Home to more than 750,000 residents, it is one of California's most diverse counties with an economy driven by innovation, life sciences, agriculture and international trade and travel. In addition to serving unincorporated communities, the County provides countywide services that support the health, safety and quality of life of residents. Learn more at smcgov.org.

Effie Milionis Verducci
Director, Strategic Communications and Community Partnerships
County Executive's Office
650-407-4915
[email protected]