Non-profit founder visits X
The founder of To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA), Jamie Tworkowski spoke in front of a room full of Xavier students on April 3. TWLOHA is a non-profit organization
that has reached out to more than 170,000 people in 100
different countries. The speech was sponsored by SAC and Active Minds. During this speech, Tworkowski told the story of how TWLOHA was founded and how it expanded
from a small MySpace project into a full blown non-profit
organization. After a brief introduction of quick facts about the organization, including that since its founding
in 2006 it has sent out more than 170,000 messages to people seeking help and has raised more than $1 million towards treatment and recovery of depression and addiction, Tworkowski invited his friend Steve McMorran from the band Satellite to perform. Following McMorran's performance, Tworkowski took the stage again to discuss how he came to found the organization. Tworkowski grew up in Florida with the dream of becoming a surf industry sales representative. He dropped out of college in order
to pursue a job for Quicksilver and later Hurley.
While attending a conference in January 2006, it was announced that one of the representatives of Hurley had committed suicide. Tworkowski brought forth the idea that they do something as a company to help with suicide prevention, but his idea was denied. Tworkowski later went to a music video shooting where he saw the director, Joaquin Phoenix, walking around the set with notes
covering his arms, which gave him the idea later for his organization. Then, in the spring of 2006, Tworkowski was introduced to Renee, a young woman struggling
with addiction, drugs, depression and self-harm, by a mutual friend David. He and his friends offered to take her to treatment, but she asked for one more night, promising
to go in the morning. That night, Renee took a razor to her
arm and wrote a message. The next morning, they took
Renee to the clinic, but because of the drugs in her system, the clinic could not admit her; they did not have adequate facilities for detox. Tworkowski and David spent the next five days with Renee helping her through detox by talking with
her and taking her to concerts. Right before taking her back to treatment, Tworkowski asked if he could share her story, and she loved the idea. Originally, Tworkowski wrote
up the story and e-mailed it to friends and family where he received a positive response. He became inspired to sell t-shirts to raise money for Renee's treatment. He created a MySpace page for the story. He then went to a Switchfoot concert where one of the band members wore the shirt
throughout the concert. Following the concert, the MySpace page exploded with messages and requests. "It was all a great surprise," Tworkowski said. "We hadn't expected
that to happen." They started doing research and began acting as a bridge to help people receive help. "We began to realize that maybe we had more than the opportunity
to help only Renee," Tworkowski said. For the first year, TWLOHA worked under another established non-profit in order to understand how the system works. The organization currently has 12 employees, a house full of interns and is based out of Florida. After his speech, Tworkowski invited McMorran and Michael Meier, the Assessment and Research Director of McGrath Health and Wellness Center, onto the stage to have an open forum.
"I'm not up here to impress you with this story of TWLOHA.
The goal and thing I love is this chance to press pause, redirect the lights and say that everyone here is equal and living a unique story," Tworkowski said. "My hope is that you have some people to say it matters, that you matter."
Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly
Recent The Xavier University Newswire News Articles
Discuss This Article
GET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
FOLLOW OUR NEWSPAPER
LATEST THE XAVIER UNIVERSITY NEWSWIRE
- Unknown Mortal Orchestra's II
- Bullet to the Head misses its target
- Casual Vacany leaves the reader feeling unfulfilled
- Songs in the Key of... "LOVE" : Players' new show to be annual event
- Respect yourself first
- The future of Xavier
- An inside look into an English professor's academic conferences and conventions
RECENT THE XAVIER UNIVERSITY NEWSWIRE CLASSIFIEDS
OUTSIDE THE LINES
- Moving Resources For Military Families
- Historic Agreement Signed By Red Cross and Armed Forces
- Salonpas® Brand Stands the Test of Time
- Tips to “Yard Your Way” This Spring
- Upgraded Upstate Power Grid Will Deliver a Smarter,...
- A Story To Sing About
- The Gap in Gum Care: Why Caring For Your Teeth’s F...
- Top Tips for Signature Scents and Better-Smelling Laundry
- A Dog Trainer’s Top Tips to Support Pets Through Life S...
- Clear the Air of Indoor Pollutants This Spring
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- Youth Apprenticeship Week Spotlights Opportunities
- New Expo Showcases AI Innovation
- Self-Care and Mental Health Tips for Caregivers
- Adventure Awaits: Discover the Playset that Brings...
- Need Auto Glass Repair? Don’t Despair
- Pioneering Fast and Affordable Broadband for the Underserved
- 7 Reasons Renting an RV Should Be On Every Family’s S...
- Don’t Let Diabetes Shortchange Your Golden Years
- No Child is Forgotten By Marine Toys for Tots
- Sweeten Your Springtime Salads With Healthy Chilean Grapes
COLLEGE PRESS RELEASES
- Guidenar Launches New Career Test for Gen Z
- GotIt! Education Offers MathGPT Free to All State & Community Colleges
- Shoff Promotions Comic Book & Sports Card Show
- Semiconductor Research Corp unveils 2024 Research Call, $13.8M Funding
- Charles River Associates Opens Second Scholarship Cycle, Expands to the UK