Student Starts TWLOHA Chapter at CUNE
by Rachael Edler
Sophomore Taylor Rankel is starting a Concordia chapter of To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA), a non-profit movement dedicated to providing hope and helping people who are battling depression, suicidal thoughts, addiction and self-injury.
TWLOHA was founded in 2006 when Jamie Tworkowski shared the story of his friend going through recovery treatment for depression and self-harm. He didn’t intend on starting a non-profit movement when he helped his friend into recovery, he just wanted to tell her story.
Rankel’s passion for TWLOHA comes from her own struggles and the loss of a friend to depression last March.
“Nobody wants to talk about it,” Rankel said. “But it is an issue and it needs to be addressed.”
Rankel wants to use the campus chapter of TWLOHA to raise awareness of mental illness and give hope to students who battle depression by giving them a safe place to talk about their struggles.
“It’s a good thing to bring to this community,” Rankel said. “It lets people know they’re not alone and there are answers.”
Rankel will introduce the TWLOHA chapter during the IMPROVathon on March 18 with a short video and information table.
Those interested in joining the chapter should attend the meetings, which are tentatively scheduled for 4-5 p.m. on Wednesdays. The location of the meetings will be determined at a later date.
Along with meetings, the TWLOHA chapter plans to participate in events that raise awareness of mental illness. The chapter’s first major event will be in September, which is Suicide Prevention Month.
To learn the full story of TWLOHA or support the organization, visit to www.twloha.com.
