jamie tworkowski to write love on her arms written & ILLUSTRATIONS by Leah Lu photography by Chris Lampkins
We are all stories: collages of our pasts, passions, and potential still to be untapped. What tethers us to one another is the communal understanding that ours are still being written, that there are still truths to be discovered, still time to be surprised. Jamie Tworkowski, founder of Florida-based non-profit organization To Write Love On Her Arms, believes that this very sentiment is what propels his vision of spreading the message of hope to people in pain. This now far-reaching, powerful movement was built on just that— a story. In 2006, Jamie met Renee Yohe, a teenage girl struggling through drug addiction, depression, and self-injury. He wrote about the experience of getting to know Renee, posted it as a blog and started selling t-shirts to help pay for her treatment. As this gained momentum, people everywhere took notice and began reaching out to ask for help.
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