Call kindergarteners for free therapy

Westside’s viral Peptoc hotline reaches Oak Park

Afraid to go to the school counselor for your life problems? Or maybe even peer counselors? Maybe kindergarteners will do the trick in improving your day.

“Peptoc” is a free telephone hotline created by artists Asherah Weiss and Jessica Martin, who collaborated with students ages 5-12 from Westside Elementary School in Healdsburg, California, via the West Side Arts Program. Dial the number, press what type of encouragement you need to hear and you’ll get a pre-recorded, unscripted message (in English or Spanish) from various elementary school students.

Mina Jung 

As of March 14, according to CBS News, the hotline has received half a million calls total with 9,000 calls per hour. According to @westsideartsprogram’s Instagram post on March 17, that number had already risen to 35,000 calls per hour. On the morning of March 22, Oak Park High School English teacher Kathy Leggett jumped on the viral train by encouraging her 0 period freshman English class to call the number.

“I tried the phone number myself and actually happy-cried because it was so cute,” Leggett said. “It was cute to watch people be intimidated by making a phone call because they thought that I was going to embarrass them or humiliate them or make them talk to a live human being.”

Leggett has spread the phone number to various faculty members, family and friends upon being informed about it via an OPHS alumni. It seems that Jessica Martin’s intentions to impart the lesson that “one small act of kindness can lift up millions” coupled with the bright perspectives of young children have begun to heal Oak Park as well.

“Why didn’t I think of this? What a great algorithm and what a wonderful idea,” Leggett said.