Jamie Tworkowski gets invited to many schools where he talks about things people don't want to hear about. His visit to Moravian College's Foy Hall Nov. 18 was no exception. In a very informal style he discussed the problems of depression, suicidal thoughts, addiction and self-injury. He also told the students the story of To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA), the nonprofit organization he started to provide support and encouragement to young people who are suffering and to promote treatment and recovery options.

The organization was founded in 2006 after Tworkowski came into contact with Renee Yohe, a 19-year-old who was drug-addicted and so deeply depressed that she had cut her arm and attempted suicide more than once. He and some friends sought to provide her with badly needed support until she was able get treatment for her condition five days later. In order to generate the funds needed for Renee's treatment, Jamie got the idea of selling T-shirts. He and a friend designed the shirt with "To Write Love on Her Arms" on it. The shirts were sold at a concert in Orlando, Florida.

With Renee's permission, Jamie posted her story on MySpace, and the response was overwhelming. Within two weeks he had received messages from people in Canada and as far away as England and Australia. Countless individuals told stories about their day-to-day struggles with depression or about people they knew who were suffering.

The response drove home forcefully for Tworkowski the prevalence of the problem and the widespread need for help. Indeed, the statistics he provided bear this out. Twenty million people suffer from depression, and two out of three get no help. Untreated depression is the leading cause of suicide, and suicide is the third most common cause of death. Out of this realization TWLOHA was born.

Today the organization has a staff of 14 full-time workers and is based in Melbourne, Florida. In addition to talks at schools, TWLOHA publicizes its cause at music festivals, where individual musicians and bands sport the organization's shirts. Several celebrities have also endorsed it. Its MySpace and Facebook pages as well as its blog, Twitter and Tumblr enable people the world over to contact the organization.

To date it has responded to 200,000 messages. In this way TWLOHA is able to let people know they are not alone, that being depressed and needing help is not something to be ashamed of, that they are unique and matter to others, and that help is available. In addition to offering emotional support, the organization provides information about counseling and drug treatment centers as well as books, support groups and crisis/suicide hotlines that can offer further resources and assistance.

The messages people post on the blog speak to their struggles. For example, one post reads, "I had to work very hard, every day, to keep the part of me that wanted to live stronger than the part that wanted to die." TWLOHA employees respond with upbeat messages. For example, this message was posted on the anniversary of 9/11. "September 11th has become a day for our nation to reflect and to mourn, a day where we remember those we've lost. At TWLOHA, we also choose to mark this day in memory of those lost to suicide and mental illness. We hope that today's remembrance allows you space to heal and the courage to continue to live and to love. We hope that today gives you the strength to remember that you matter and that no one else can play your part."

Learn more about TWLOHA at the following siteshttp://twloha.com/visionBlog and twloha.com