Jamie Tworkowski, the man behind the non-profit organization To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA), recently visited Capital.
According to their website, “To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide.”
Sitting down with Tworkowski is like sitting down with another student. Wearing bright blue Nike shoes and a hoodie, he doesn’t appear to be a man that started a non-profit that currently has over 1 million likes on Facebook and has helped over 200,000 individuals.
Tworkowski lives in Florida and is passionate about surfing, his nephews, and basketball. Not only has he started the organization, but also was a part of the release of a documentary. Tworkowski also wrote his own book, “If You Feel Too Much.”
Before the beginning of TWLOHA, Tworkowski was working in sales for Hurley, a company that specializes in surf apparel.
“[TWLOHA] is a much better fit for me. I think more then anything I am just thankful I get to do a bunch of stuff that I enjoy and feel like I’m supposed to do. It’s really as serious as people deciding whether to live or die, so it’s pretty easy to get out of bed to do a job like [TWLOHA],” Tworkowski said.
TWLOHA began when a friend of Tworkowski was struggling with drug addiction and self-harm, but was denied for help in a treatment center. Tworkowski posted her story on Myspace in the hope for receiving support. After a mass of responses, in 2006 the story was turned into the non-profit organization.
Today, TWLOHA focuses on being a source of encouragement for people. The team works to respond to letters and post articles, quotes, and blogs. They provide assistance to people who may otherwise not receive it. Many people report to TWLOHA that they wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for the work it does.
Tworkowski has traveled to all 50 states and around the world spreading the message of TWLOHA, but he said he still has the passion and goals to change lives on an individual level.
March 30 of next year marks the ten year anniversary of the day Tworkowski’s friend from Switchfoot wore the first TWLOHA t-shirt. The organization hopes not only to celebrate the last ten years but also to look into the future.
“There is always going to be a need for the work we do. Obviously we can be proud … but I hope to see it and be grateful,” Tworkowski said.
