Yesterday a fellow classmate of mine did a presentation on a non-profit organization by the name of To Write Love On Her Arms. After listening to her speak for about 5 minutes I was hooked. Excited to hear more and interested in how I could get involved I came home read over their website and decided I had to blog about them.
To Write Love On Her Arms began in Florida in the Spring of 2006, after Jamie Tworkowski encountered a young woman named Renee. Renee was denied entry into a rehab facility because she was considered "too risky due to self-mutilation behaviour". Jamie spent five days with her and made it his mission to get Renee the help she rightfully deserved. He started a MySpace page and raised money for treatment by selling t-shirts;To Write Her Arms with Love was born and the rest is history.
This organizations mission is simple-provide people with the love and support they need by presenting them with hope. Letting them know they are not alone and it's okay to talk about depression (a topic so often swept under the rug.)
TWLOHA gives these teens a chance to share their stories and remind them that they are not alone, they have a voice, and they are being heard but most importantly they are loved.
Did you know that 30% of teens suffer from depression and untreated depression often leads to suicide and suicide is the third leading cause of death among teens? I didn't either. Depression does not discriminate and according to the World Health Organization 20% of teenagers will suffer from depression by the time they reach adulthood.
With an enormous amount of supporters(bands, celebrities, and a street team) it is clear that love just may be the movement we're all looking for.
To learn more about To Write Love On Her Arms and Renee's story click the links below.
http://www.twloha.com/index.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5dtv646wq0&feature=channel
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