It started with a story.
Our founder, Jamie Tworkowski, didn’t set out to start a nonprofit organization. All he wanted to do was help a friend and tell her story. When Jamie met Renee Yohe, she was struggling with addiction, depression, self-injury, and suicidal thoughts. He wrote about the five days he spent with her before she entered a treatment center, and he sold T-shirts to help cover the cost. When she entered treatment, he posted the story on MySpace to give it a home. The name of the story was “To Write Love on Her Arms.” Read the original story
The title, “To Write Love on Her Arms,” also represented a goal—to believe that a better life was possible.
But it was more than just a story.
The words and the life it represented shed light on the reality of contrast—pain and peace, addiction and sobriety, regret and freedom.
Soon Jamie and his friends were answering messages from people around the world. They longed to lift the heavy weight of depression. They wanted to be free from addiction or self-injury, to stay alive and live fully. They were mourning those they’d lost to such struggles, and they reached out to ask what they could do to bring hope to their communities.
They sold T-shirts to help pay for Renee’s treatment, but what could they offer those people who were hurting?
Jamie knew he had stumbled onto a conversation that couldn’t be ignored. In 2007, TWLOHA became an official nonprofit organization.
We believe:
You were created to love and be loved.
People need other people.
Your story is important.
Better days are ahead.
Hope and help are real.
This is how we’re sharing the message of hope and help:
Since 2006
210,000 messages
We’ve responded to 210,000 messages from people in over 100 countries around the world
3.8 million miles
We’ve traveled more than 3.8 million miles to meet people in their communities
1,100+ blog posts
We’ve shared 1,100+ blog posts and launched a podcast to let others know that they aren’t alone
56,000 FIND HELP Tool Searches
Since 2018, TWLOHA’s FIND HELP Tool has seen 56,000 program searches. For every 4 searches, someone will take the next step to sit with a counselor or call a crisis hotline.
27,000 fulfilled merch orders
In just 2020 alone, we delivered the message of hope to all 50 states and 70 countries through 27,000 fulfilled merch orders.
What Now?
It’s been 18 years since the original TWLOHA story was posted online, and we’re still here. We’re still working to let people know that hope is real and that they can get the help they deserve. If you want to help support our mission, you can get involved, buy a T-shirt from our online store, or make a donation.