Hope was an essential ingredient to the origins of To Write Love on Her Arms, a mental health non-profit.  A friend in need of treatment for addiction inspired the founder, Jamie Tworkowski to raise the necessary funds by selling t-shirts at live music events. Not only did the live music scene respond positively to the t-shirts, but music artists such as Paramore, Switchfoot, and Underoath participated in speaking openly about mental health, an issue with a lot of negative stigmas attached. Moving forward, TWLOHA’s mission was centered around the idea of bringing hope and help to those struggling with mental health issues. “Hope is defiant. It is more gritty and determined than we give it credit for,” a TWLOHA spokesperson has said in an interview. A Powerful Online Presence Brings Help and Hope Music festivals and live events were a valuable part of TWLOHA’s outreach until the COVID-19 pandemic. Meeting people face to face was instrumental in its mission to provide help and hope. The pandemic compelled the non-profit to shift its outreach into online spaces.  Starting with a viral post on Myspace, the non-profit has long had an internet presence. Its FIND HELP feature, which connects users with free or reduced cost services by zip code, on its website has garnered over 200,000 searches. TWLOHA estimates it has a community reach of 20,000,000 people. TWLOHA continues to find innovative ways to provide information to those in need and has now created a free online mental health Toolkit. The Mental Health Toolkit is a valuable resource for those who aren’t ready to seek out face to face therapy or don’t have the funds. The Mental Health Toolkit is also aimed at people looking for fresh tools for coping with “the highs and lows of life.” Users will find everything from curated music playlists to guided videos by licensed therapists, and even daily affirmations are provided. The Continuing Mission On August 13, 2024, TWLOHA launches a new initiative for Suicide Prevention Month in September to address the suicide epidemic.  The focus of the initiative will be on helping people who have been affected by suicide or have considered it by taking actions to change “the trajectory of someone’s existence (yours included).” TWLOHA continues to bring hope with its resources. Its focus on creating safe environments for the open discussion of mental health issues is vitally important to educating people. TWLOHA believes that a community of “safe” people is an important asset to healing. The education provided by their Mental Health Toolkit and Suicide Prevention Month initiative are powerful tools for those in need and those who want to help them. “People need other people. We are social creatures and we can’t and don’t have to do these hard or heavy things alone,” a spokesperson for the mental health non-profit explains. To Write Love on Her Arms may have started to help just one person, but its outreach has changed countless lives. The post To Write Love on Her Arms – Changing How We Talk About Mental Health appeared first on LA Weekly.