To Write Love on Her Arms: The Music
Hope. Help. Support. These are some of the words that describe To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA), a non-profit organization that seeks to present hope and help for people who struggle with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide by encouraging, informing, inspiring, and directly investing in treatment and recovery. Their vision is clear, and is a noble one at that.
The organization—founded by Jamie Tworkowski in 2006—has had a recent surge in prominence through various endorsements of celebrities and bands, including Miley Cyrus, Joaquin Phoenix, Cristina Perri, Skillet, and many others, and continues to raise funds to aid in suicide prevention.
But what does this have to do with music?
“Music is a huge part of our story. We believe in the songs of our friends.”
Who are these friends of TWLOHA who have supported the organization? Some of these artists may be familiar; others may prove to be diamonds in the rough. Either way, check them out below, find out what charities they have involved themselves with, and turn up your speakers!
Switchfoot
You may know this San Diego band for their stellar live shows, but you might not know that they are also involved with quite a few charitable organizations. You may have seen TWLOHA merchandise with the phrase, "Love Is The Movement"; that's one of their songs.
Charities:
TWLOHA
DATA
ONE Campaign
Keep A Breast Foundation
Habitat for Humanity
Invisible Children
lowercase people
Switchfoot Bro-Am Surf Contest
Choice hopeful lyric:
Love is the movement
Love is a revolution
This is redemption
We don't have to slow back down
Anberlin
Charities:
TWLOHA
Faceless International
Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee
Choice hopeful lyric:
And when you're in doubt
And when you're in danger
Take a look all around
And I'll be there
Evanescence
Both the band and frontwoman Amy Lee has been thanked for supporting TWLOHA. Lee has also been a spokesperson for epilepsy foundation Out Of The Shadows.
Charities:
TWLOHA
Out Of The Shadows
Campaigned against sex trafficking
Written music for charitable causes, including the Haiti Relief Fund
Donated items to local charities
Choice hopeful lyric:
Somewhere beyond the pain
There must be a way to believe
We can break through
Thrice
In addition to TWLOHA, Californian rockers Thrice have donated a portion of record sales to a new charitable organization—for each album.
Charities:
TWLOHA
Choice hopeful lyric:
Come all you weary with your heavy loads
Lay down your burdens find rest for your souls
Cause my yoke is easy and my burden is kind
I’ll take yours upon me and you can take mine
The Almost
Charities:
TWLOHA
Choice hopeful lyric:
Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saves a wretch like me
I once was lost
And now I'm found
Was blind but now I see
Paramore
Charities:
TWLOHA
Invisible Children
Save The Franklin Theatre
Make-A-Wish Foundation
Stand Up To Cancer
United Service Organization
Choice hopeful lyric:
And I won't let you fall away
From me
You will never fade
And I won't let you fall away
From me
Bayside
Charities:
TWLOHA
Choice hopeful lyric:
If our world falls down tomorrow
You be sure I'll be there with a net
To catch the pieces falling
The Rocket Summer
Musician Bryce Avary created the clothing company Call It Captivate, partnering with a variety of charitable organizations (including Doctors Without Borders, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, International Adoption, These Numbers Have Faces, and others), where 25% or more of each item purchased goes to charitable causes.
Charities:
TWLOHA
Call It Captivate
Doctors Without Borders
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
International Adoption
These Numbers Have Faces
Choice hopeful lyric:
Here are your new eyes
It's time to see life with brand new sight
How could I now never see positively?
Check out some more TWLOHA-affiliated bands.
Jimmy Eat World
This band has participated in various Sub City Records projects, including a fundraiser that donated $2 million to over 50 charities, and recorded a track for album Maybe This Christmas, which made donations to Toys For Tots.
Charities:
TWLOHA
Contributed a track to Maybe This Christmas (Toys For Tots)
Choice hopeful lyric:
Live right now
Yeah, just be yourself
It doesn't matter if it's good enough for someone else
Underoath
Metalcore artists Underoath participated in Come & Live, a mini-tour that raised money for Habitat For Humanity, Invisible Children, Teen Challenge, and Samaritans Purse; they've participated in Shirts For A Cure; and of course, TWLOHA.
Charities:
TWLOHA
Habitat For Humanity
Invisible Children
Teen Challenge
Samaritans Purse
Choice hopeful lyric:
Never forgot the time you made me feel alive
When death was on my mind
Or when you held onto me
When the world let me fall behind
Jon Foreman (Switchfoot, Fiction Family, Solo)
Charities:
TWLOHA
Switchfoot-associated charities
Fast For Darfur
Choice hopeful lyric:
Two things you told me
That you are strong
And you love me
Yes you love me
Dustin Kensrue (thrice)
This guitarist/vocalist/co-founder of Thrice has donated 5% of the proceeds from his solo album, Please Come Home, to TWLOHA.
Charities:
TWLOHA
Choice hopeful lyric:
I hope that I will never let you down
I know that this can be more than just flashing lights and sound
Look around and you'll see that at times it feels like no one really cares
It gets me down but I'm still gonna try to do what's right
Copeland
Charities:
TWLOHA
Choice hopeful lyric:
You don't have to be ashamed
'Cause you're a miracle through and through
Josh Moore
Charities:
TWLOHA
Choice hopeful lyric:
I can see you there
Underneath it all but
Don't be scared
I'll break your fall
Sleeping at last
Charities:
TWLOHA
Charity: Water
Choice hopeful lyric:
Be brave
Like bridges underwater
Keeping strong beyond their time
I feel the light upon my skin
Reminding me that night must end
red jumpsuit apparatus
Charities:
TWLOHA
Boost Mobile RockCorps
The Red Jumpsuit Alliance Guardian Angel Foundation
DoSomething.org
Choice hopeful lyric:
I can be the one
I will never let you fall
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all
Hawthorne Heights
Charities:
TWLOHA
Charity shows
Locks of love
PETA2.org
Headcount.org
Stayvocal.com
Choice hopeful lyric:
The deeper you cut
The deeper I hurt
The deeper you cut
It only gets worse
[…]
And then she opened her eyes
And found relief in his life
And put down her knives
And then she opened her life
Want more music? We've got you covered!
Plain White T's
Charities:
TWLOHA
Charities related to causes for Japan tsunami victims
Choice hopeful lyric:
And just hold on, hold on to me
Don't let go
VersaEmerge
Charities:
TWLOHA
Choice hopeful lyric:
Impact is inevitable, and it's up to us
The secret handshake
Charities:
TWLOHA
Choice hopeful lyric:
Lets all try to sing along
Learn the words to this song
That we'll look back on
ellington
Charities:
TWLOHA
Choice hopeful lyric:
We all look the same under these bright lights
But you're shining brighter every day
You illuminate more than I ever could
And make me want to change my ways
the color fred
Charities:
TWLOHA
Invisible children
Choice hopeful lyric:
You gotta be the change you want to see
meg and dia
Charities:
TWLOHA
Take Action
DoSomething.org
Choice hopeful lyric:
Even though the days grow longer by the minute
I know there is hope in hope itself
When I'm growing tired, and I feel faith is drifting
I remember love is what I'm working toward
cool hand luke
Charities:
TWLOHA
Choice hopeful lyric:
I could see for miles
He showed me that the mountain I'm climbing
Is not a mountain at all
But a gentle slope leading home
mat kearney
Charities:
TWLOHA
VH1 Save The Music Foundation
Choice hopeful lyric:
These scars upon my sleeve
Won't get the best of me
You've had yours and I've had my own defeats
This heart upon your sleeve
I'll tread gently
I won't rush in and run away on a breeze
matt wetz
Charities:
TWLOHA
Choice hopeful lyric:
I will not take my love away
When praises cease and seasons change
While the world turns the other way
I will not take my love away
dave barnes
Charities:
TWLOHA
Choice hopeful lyric:
So raise a glass and gather round
Toast the night and friendships found
I lay to rest my troubled face
Breathe deep this amazing grace
derek webb
Charities:
TWLOHA
Choice hopeful lyric:
There's got to be
A love stronger than our fear
Of everything being out of control
bradley hathaway
Charities:
TWLOHA
Choice hopeful lyric:
And I look outside my window
And imagine the future purple pastel pretty moments
Of joy that I will one day have with my wife and my children
My friends and my family
a skylit drive
Charities:
TWLOHA
Choice hopeful lyric:
So don't fear tomorrow
Brings another day for tears
Let laughter fill your
Smile and show your love
'Cause with it, you can
Almost touch the sky
eye alaska
Charities:
TWLOHA
Selling limited-edition Eye Alaska backpacks to sponsor children in Africa
Choice hopeful lyric:
There's no use in stopping rain
But I won't let it pour
I won't let precipitation wash all of you away
gasoline heart
Charities:
TWLOHA
Choice hopeful lyric:
Open your eyes, tell me who you wanna be
If you don't know, don't be scared, you're not alone
mike dunn & the kings of new england
Charities:
TWLOHA
A Gift For Music
For more information about To Write Love On Her Arms, check out their official website.