Jamie Tworkowski

When you hear the word hero, what comes to mind? Does your mind light up with vivid pictures of strong fighters or superheroes saving the city? When I think of a hero, my mind is in a different place with different people. A hero does not have to be a man in a cape. In this day and age, the people of the world need someone who will support and help them. We need someone who can empathize and support us; Jamie Tworkowski of To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) is a hero for people around the globe because he has a priority for the common good and well-being of people, used the fame he gained in order to help others, and his passion and dedication for helping has inspired people around the globe.

"We live in a difficult world, a broken world. We believe 

everyone can relate to pain, all of us live with questions, and 

all of us get stuck in moments. You need to know you're 

not alone in the places you feel stuck" (TWLOHA).

Jamie Tworkowski's journey began in 2006 when he met a 19 year old girl named Renee Yohe. She had evils in her life- drugs, abuse, addiction, self-harm, and suicide- but all of that would soon change because of Tworkowski. After she was rejected from a rehab facility because of her freshly scarred arms, he took her in. He was her safe-haven in a time of need. Jamie was concerned for her because the well-being of others is a priority of his. He takes it upon himself to provide for her; the goal is to heal her cuts, get the drugs out of her system, and combat the evils inside. With Tworkowski's help, Renee became clean and made it through rehab. "We become her hospital, and the possibility of healing fills our living room with life. It is unspoken and there are only a few of us, but we will be her church, the body of Christ coming alive to meet her needs, to write love on her arms," (Tworkowski) he wrote in his MySpace post about Renee's story titled "To Write Love on Her Arms", one that got hundreds of thousands of views. This post would soon fuel a movement and the official beginning of the revolutionary non-profit organization known by the same title.

As knowledge and news spread of this inspiring new organization, more people began to talk and share their stories. According to Tworkowski, "two out of three people that struggle with depression don't get help for it. Untreated depression is the leading cause of suicide, and there's roughly 20 million of us in America alone that struggle with depression" ("The Power of Few"). His big goal was to use this organization to help people around the world who don't get the proper attention or treatment they need. While TWLOHA grew and grew, Tworkowski used the fame he gained to empower, teach, and send hope to others in need: "TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and invest directly into treatment and recovery" (TWLOHA). Unlike many people, he did not misuse this opportunity he was given to be in the spotlight. Instead, he began to talk to many people, travel, and inspire globally: "we get to become this source of hope and encouragement and resources for people around the world- it's literally a dream come true" ("The Power of Few"). As Tworkowski saw his dreams come true, he began to develop the company and expand in many new ways.