To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) celebrates its 13th birthday on Saturday, March 30th. Since 2006, the nonprofit has been dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with mental illness. In their 13-year history, TWLOHA has donated over $2.3 million directly into treatment, traveled more than 3.4 million miles to meet people face-to-face at nearly 3,000 events, and has responded to over 210,000 messages from over 100 countries. Each month, they connect with 5 million people online through social media and their FIND HELP Tool fields 5,000 searches made by people seeking affordable, local mental health resources.
To celebrate, the organization is asking supporters to wear TWLOHA merch on March 30th and to post a picture on social media using the hashtag #WearTWLOHA. From the very beginning, the organization has designed and sold T-shirts as a way to fund their efforts. The merchandise they sell, however, serves a bigger purpose. It acts as a conversation starter and a way to introduce people to TWLOHA and their mission of spreading hope and help.
“It’s amazing to think that March 30 means 13 years have passed since our friend Jon Foreman wore the first TWLOHA shirt on stage at a Switchfoot concert in South Florida. We never could have imagined all that’s happened since that time-the people we’ve been able to reach, the stories that so many have shared with us,” says TWLOHA founder Jamie Tworkowski. “We get to hear from folks all over the world who are getting help and even choosing to stay alive. We are beyond thankful for the last 13 years. We’re truly hopeful and excited when we think about the future.”
They will also be hosting a Two-Day Birthday Warehouse Sale on Friday, March 29th and Saturday, March 30th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at their headquarters in downtown Melbourne, Florida. The sale is open to the public and will include brand new designs, exclusive deals on merch, and Run For It 5k registration. For more details, visit https://twloha.com/events/spring-warehouse-sale/.
This past September TWLOHA wrapped their 7th Annual World Suicide Prevention Day campaign for World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) and National Suicide Prevention Week (NSPW). With the help of supporters from around the world, the organization was able to raise over $200k for treatment and recovery, more than doubling their initial goal of $100k. Over 3600 people donated to the “Tomorrow Needs You” campaign, in addition to the sale of 4655 World Suicide Prevention Day packs. The money raised will help sponsor nearly 4000 counseling sessions and connect 55,000 people to local mental health resources.
As part of the campaign, TWLOHA shared an inspiring video featuring actors Chris Sullivan (from This Is Us) and Jaina Lee Ortiz (from Station 19), country music star Hunter Hayes, who raised $25,000, writer/artist Morgan Harper Nichols, and singer/songwriter Matt Wertz, along with a number of clips submitted by TWLOHA supporters from around the world. To watch the video, please visit: youtu.be/aEzUMnBHHK0.
For more information on To Write Love On Her Arms, please visit https://twloha.com/.
