To Write Love On Her Arms

“You were created to love and be loved. You were meant to live life in relationship with other people, to know and be known. You need to know that your story is important and that you're part of a bigger story. You need to know that your life matters.”
These words are in the opening of the Vision To Write Love On Her Arms has on their website.
In March of 2006, TWLOHA was founded by Jamie Tworkowski, inspired by the heart-breaking story of Renee Yohe (then nineteen). The foundation proved to be ground-breaking. Musicians like Anberlin and Switchfoot started wearing t-shirts in support and people all over the country, and even the world, found themselves inspired; inspired to change.
Many people who were once too nervous to reveal their personal problems to even their closest friends or relatives suddenly had an outlet that gave no judgment. “At TWLOHA we believe that stories are important and valuable, but we also understand how difficult it can be to share our stories with others sometimes,” says Savannah Jaye Thomas, one of the six interns at the TWLOHA headquarters (now located in Melbourne). “[W]henever someone chooses to share their stories with us, we're honored that TWLOHA can create a space where they feel safe and encouraged to do so.”
The foundation garnered such a following that “To Write Love On Her Arms Week” and TWLOHA Day (Nov. 13) suddenly appeared on Facebook pages, proof that it is more than just a foundation. “All of the TWLOHA days/weeks have been organized and advertised completely by our supporters through social media, so we definitely feel honored. The passion they have for our cause is overwhelming and humbling, and we're so grateful for it.”
In 2009, TWLOHA partnered with the Kristen Brooks Hope Center to develop IMAlive, an online crisis center operating via instant messenger, just another way TWLOHA have made themselves more accessible to their supporters and the people that need their support in return.
TWLOHA has had a booth every year for the last five years, a move Thomas says, “[H]as provided us with opportunities to promote ourselves, meet supporters, and network with bands that support us.”
A sensation in the music world, TWLOHA has had the support of musicians from the beginning. “Jon Foreman, the lead singer of Switchfoot, was there when Jamie opened the first box of shirts and asked if he could wear one on stage that night. From there, other friends who were also musicians just believed in the story and wanted to support it, such as Anberlin and Underoath. We were also invited to be a part of Vans Warped Tour, opening up more opportunities to be involved with musicians and share our message with their fans. We are honored to have people with such powerful voices and committed fans be a part of our story.”
These voices are often a huge part of Heavy and Light, a TWLOHA gathering held in Orlando. “[Heavy and Light] began in 2007 as a way to create a conversation and night of hope in honor of our friend Casey Calvert, who died a month before. The name came from a blog Jamie wrote in response to Casey's death. It was such a great night of hope and honesty and conversation, and we decided to carry it on,” states Thomas. “We believe that music has the power to encourage people and remind them that they are alive, and we really enjoy being able to take our conversation and combine it with great music. A good song leaves us feeling like it is okay to be honest and to feel things. We believe that there is a lot of freedom in that. Heavy and Light is an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ kind of event, involving all parts of our staff, from our communication team to our merch and music teams--everyone plays an important role.”
At the 2012 Heavy and Light, a short film plays at the beginning, setting the mood for the entire evening. “Welcome to Midnight,” the words say, bright against the dark background. The tone of the evening is hopeful, to say the least; believing that change is a possibility for both the company and its followers. “We have some really incredible stuff in the works that we'll be announcing later this year that have been part of our dream for a while, but we're excited that 2012 is the year that we're going to be able to make a lot of those dreams a reality for us, including our hope to take Heavy and Light on the road.
“We absolutely believe that everyone gets a fresh start, but we don't believe that that fresh start is confined to resolutions on New Year's Eve. We believe that that fresh start can begin at any moment, but that it begins with a choice to make a fresh start, to ask for help, to change the course of things. Maybe the best way to describe it is that we believe people get to choose a fresh start for themselves at any time. Since there are many people who spend the last week of the year preparing for the clean slate of a New Year at midnight on New Year's Eve, we decided to join them in celebrating that idea.”
This year featured performances by Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional, David Bazan, Noah Gunderson, Mariah McManus, spoken word poet Anis Mojgani, and even a guest appearance by actress Sophia Bush. Fans also got a sneak peak at the movie “Renee,” based on Renee Yohe’s story and the formation of To Write Love On Her Arms. The film, despite not having yet been released, has already received support from the foundation’s many followers. “We are excited about the film, for sure. We did not write the script or produce it, but we are glad to be a part of it. Our hope is that the movie will connect and move people,” Thomas expresses. “Maybe it's someone learning about and understanding self-injury better than they did before. Or it could be someone feeling inspired to live a more honest story or reach out for help after seeing the film. We hope it creates change.”
TWLOHA has fourteen staff members and six interns, a relatively small amount in comparison to other foundations and companies, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in passion, determination, and pure character, a community of wonderful people. “One of the most important tasks that our interns do is responding to e-mails from supporters on a daily basis, so it's imperative that our interns are good communicators. Also, something we really stress in our internship program is the idea of community, and every community looks different. The application process helps our Intern Program Director invite interns who are not only a good fit for the organization but also a good fit for the community they will form when they arrive.”
It only takes one person to change the world, but imagine if a group of awe-inspiring people work together to bring on that change, what wonderful things could be done and created. TWLOHA seems to understand that, one of the many reasons they won the $1,000,000 grant from NBC’s Giving Awards.
TWLOHA is a cause that brings awareness and love in all that it does. Please go to TWLOHA.com to show your support.

“The vision is the possibility that your best days are ahead.

The vision is the possibility that we're more loved than we'll ever know.

The vision is hope, and hope is real.


You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story.”

*Also be sure to check out the weekly feature on the TWLOHA Behind-the-Scenes Tumblr called "Song of the Week." You can also listen to this playlist on Spotify.

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