Gabe Nathan, a Wynnewood activist and Herbie the Love Bug enthusiast, brings joy and a serious message wherever he goes with his replica of the Volkswagen Beetle made famous by the 1969 Disney movie, writes Stephanie Farr for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Nathan first saw the movie when he was a kid, and immediately fell in love with Herbie. So while feeling depressed in 2017, he bought the 1963 VW Beetle and modified it to look like Herbie.

As soon as he got it on the road, people started to smile, wave, and honk at him.

People also started talking to him about the movie, and once he said what prompted his purchase, they also opened up about their mental health issues.

This led Nathan, the editor in chief of OC87 Recovery Diaries, to add a note of activism to his daily drives.

So he added a large “Drive Out SUICIDE” decal on his back window along with the number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.

“People take pictures of it and they post it on social media and they are doing my work for me,” said Nathan.

Read more about Gabe Nathan at The Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.

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