Talk:To Write Love on Her Arms

This article was nominated for deletion on May 9, 2008. The result of the discussion was Keep.

Shouldn't be deleted

I have no affiliation with this organization whatsoever. In fact, I was curious about them and found that no Wikipedia article existed, so I started a stub with information readily available on their website. This article needs a great deal more information in it, but it shouldn't be deleted altogether. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Travishearne (talk • contribs) 08:16, 4 January 2007

please SIGN your name on TALK pages. If you want the article to be kept
find information regarding this organisation from places other than their own website
use that inforation to improve the article
provide citations to your improvements

Good luck with keeping and improving the article. If you need help with citations let me know!Ga rr ie 00:09, 4 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Please keep this article

Please keep this article. TWLOHA is a great organization, and I've spoken to the founder face-to-face only a few months ago. They are an amazing group of people with an excellent cause.

Notability isn't a problem, they are notable, they just have not been around long enough for much new information to be added. Renee, the young woman who the organization was started for, has successfully been treated for cocaine addictions and depression. Her life has taken a 180 turn because of this group, and if that isn't notable, I don't know what is.

Please do not delete this article. Any further questions can be directed to this page or straight to my talk page. I'll do the best I can to defend this organization. Streetsabre 05:40, 9 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I think the page is notable enough as well. I took out a few of the bands in the list of supporters (a list of 30 bands seemed excessive... there's still too many, but I couldn't decide which ones to remove), and reworded the part about the Anberlin tour, as it's over now. I'd upload their "Title" image (like the one on this shirt [1]), but I'm not sure about copyright. TheContralto 22:56, 11 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Founding date?

I heard of the organization in August 2006. Where do they get the date OCTOBER 2006? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.219.251.247 (talk) 20:15, 12 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I changed it to March of 2006, as that's when their MySpace was registered. I know I heard about them before October '06 as well. I'm assuming that date came from when they were set up as an official nonprofit organization, though they existed as a "movement", I suppose, before that. TheContralto 23:17, 3 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I saw a TWLOHA shirt during the spring break of 2006 (April, I guess) in Orlando. If they already had shirts printed, they must have been around a bit long than that. AshleyScripter _{talkback} 17:12, 3 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Bands

Maybe the bands involved with TWLOHA should have their own catagory. There are so many of them, and people keep adding/subtracting the ones in the main article. I don't want to make that dramatic of a move, but its a thought for someone who's bored.

It could possibly be rearanged that way, however the bands dont present themselves as agents of TWLOHA. However you can't truly classify them to much of any degree beside supporters.. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.19.177.254 (talk) 20:52, 10 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Actual activities?

Can anybody tell me what this group actually DOES other than promote itself?

From the TWLOHA FAQ "Q. Where does the money from T-shirt sales and donations go? A. Initial profits went to cover Renee's rehab expenses. We continue to help support her as she gets her feet on the ground. Beyond that, money essentially goes now to two places:

1. Operating costs: production, management of online store, promotional expenses such as printing and shipping of flyer cards, legal fees, design fees (t-shirts, web, flyers), booth for Cornerstone (and future events). Also, we often send shirts to hurting kids, so when we do that, we cover the production cost plus shipping. Jamie, Trisha David and Lauren are now working on this full-time drawing a salary, determined by a board of directors. The need is great, and we hope to add more staff as soon as possible.

2. Meeting financial needs. Our goal for 2007 is to contribute $100k to the treatment, recovery and support of young people facing depression, addiction, suicide and self-injury."

To judge the notability of this charity, I think it's important to know how much money it takes in and what percentage goes to operating costs (publicity) vs. functional spending. Of the money that goes to "treatment, recovery and support," how is that spent EXACTLY (e.g., do they give money directly to kids, fund clinics (and if so which ones), etc). Also, what exactly is Renee getting money for now? Food, housing? At what point will she be judged "on her feet"? Sorry to sound suspicious, but this is all awfully vague for a charity. Radosh 00:50, 24 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

one activity that is actually coming up very soon has been posted on facebook. the event is called "to write love on her arms" it promoted/encourages people to literally, write "love" on their arms, and to go around and tell people they are loved. the date for this event is scheduled as February 13th, the day before valentines day. a day, which i`m sure you may all agree with me, has fairly high suicide rates seeing as how social pressure may crush the single depressed teenagers. azndragon11491 03:41, 7 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

They recently posted a big update on their MySpace blog (which unfortunately, I can't link to), detailing where the money is going, currently:

"Last month, thanks to your support, TWLOHA donated $28,500 to the treatment and recovery of young people struggling with depression, drug addiction, self-injury and suicide. The money was split between several organizations, all of which we're committed to supporting each month for the rest of 2007. Those organizations are:

NATIONAL HOPELINE NETWORK (1-800-SUICIDE) - WWW.HOPELINE.COM The National Hopeline is a non-profit organization that fights suicide at the front lines. Their toll-free call line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and links the caller to the nearest crisis hotline in their area. To date, they have received over 2 million calls from individuals struggling with thoughts of suicide.

TEEN CHALLENGE - WWW.TEENCHALLENGEUSA.COM Teen challenge is a rehab program with locations in 70 different countries. "Teen Challenge endeavors to help people become mentally sound, emotionally balanced, socially adjusted, physically well, and spiritually alive." Many Teen Challenge centers offer treatment for free, and that is made possible through donations.

MERCY MINISTRIES - WWW.MERCYMINISTRIES.ORG Mercy is a non-profit organization for young women who face life-controlling issues. They provide residential programs free of charge designed to address the whole person: spiritual, physical and emotional. Mercy homes are located in the USA, Australia, and the UK. Construction is underway for Mercy's first home in Canada.

S.A.F.E. (Self-Abuse Finally Ends) - WWW.SELFINJURY.COM / 1-800-DONT-CUT "S.A.F.E. Alternatives is a nationally recognized treatment approach, professional network and educational resource base, which is committed to helping you and others achieve an end to self-injurious behavior."

KIDS HELP LINE (Australia) - WWW.KIDSHELP.COM.AU / 1-800-55-1800 Offers free, confidential, anonymous 24-hour phone and online counseling for young people (5-25) in Australia.

INDIA: Back in January, three of us travelled to Kolkata, India, as part of a group there to experience the work being done in the fight against human slavery. We partnered with two different organizations, and as part of our commitment to the children we met and the work we experienced, 5% of the money we give away will go to those organizations: Apne Aap - WWW.APNEAAP.ORG Sanlaap - WWW.SANLAAPINDIA.ORG

-TheContralto 03:41, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

who payed for the trip to australia? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.7.207.200 (talk) 07:07, 10 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

--They aren't actually a non profit organization as far as I can tell. I have been in one before, and we needed to file paperwork and jump through some serious hoops to prove we were one, so that we didn't have to pay taxes. I have yet to find any proof from TWLOHA.

Other than that, the group acts very shady, and constantly refuses to show anyone a detailed report of what money goes where (Again, you NEED to have that information for taxes, you can't just donate huge amounts of money without the government getting a tax from it), so they do indeed HAVE that information, they just won't release it. Which is UNHEARD of in a charity. The only reason they wouldn't want to release it is to hide what they are really spending it on.

Also, navigate their site. Time yourself how long it takes to get to their help page (which, by the way, google provides better services faster). Then, go to the main page, and time how long it takes for you to find their store to buy something from. Seriously, it is messed up.

128.61.94.87 (talk) 01:20, 22 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]

http://www.twloha.com/finances/ has what purport to be full financial summaries, tax forms, documentation of non-profit status, and so forth; is that not what you mean? And their "help page", while not particularly, um, helpful, is prominently linked-to from the top navigation-bar (with the text "find help"). All told, I'm not sure that anyone is better off for this organization's existence, but it doesn't seem clearly fraudulent to me. More "silly" than "shady", maybe? —Ruakh_TALK 03:05, 22 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Working On Crafting Page

To everyone who has expressed concern about the content of the page and the purpose of the organization, our team is currently working on re-doing this page. We appreciate your patience and past assistance with crafting it, but we would like to make the information as accurate as possible. Thanks -Michael Michael@twloha.com --TWLOHAmichael (talk) 19:58, 13 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Religious sponsorship

Is TWLOHA based upon a framework that originated from a religion? I am curious as there is no mention of TWLOHA being a christian organisation, yet they are supported by christian bands. Can anyone clear this up?--CapFan (talk) 21:59, 23 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

From their FAQ [2]:

Q. Is TWLOHA a “Christian” organization?

A. We feel that the story (and the rest of this project) speaks for itself. Identifying something (such as a band, store, venue or project) as "Christian" often alienates those outside of the church/Christian culture, and we don't want to do that. TWLOHA aims to be inclusive and inviting. This is a project for all people. This is a project for broken people, and it is led by broken people.

Many of the organizations they claim to support financially are Christian ones. I'm not sure if this rates a mention on the page. Zimbardo Cookie Experiment (talk) 22:37, 23 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Agreed. The same would be done if they supported NGO's or charities etc - thanks for clearing that one up CapFan (talk) 13:09, 26 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Two Christian sites that seem to think it's Christian - http://www.one21music.com/2009/04/to-write-love-on-her-arms/ describes Jamie being like Christ/sharing Christs love to Renee & quotes Jamie sort of comparing his/the organisations story to Jesus' "...when it comes to the power of story, I suppose the best example in the history of the world would be Jesus. Jesus spent a lot of time telling stories. And perhaps God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to collide with our story, the story of humanity, the story that continues tonight – me in an apartment in Florida typing these answers, and you wherever you are, reading these words on a similar bright screen. Perhaps we’re all in this together and perhaps we’re all more loved than we’ll ever know."

from feature interview with Christianty Today - "Is TWLOHA a Christian organization? No. The word Christian, in my opinion, has been abused and misrepresented. It's a label that alienates people. Jesus didn't come to establish a subculture; he came to heal the world. With TWLOHA, we are simply trying to let people know that they matter, that they're not alone in their struggles, and that hope and help are real." - sounds like it is, just doesn't want to put people off with the label. - http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/november/22.112.html 109.224.137.121 (talk) 01:39, 5 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

It seems as though they're a religious organization claiming not to be one in order to attract followers. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.194.81.104 (talk) 23:58, 25 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Minor language problem

The article uses flowery speech in one spot that, in my opinion, reads like an ad brochure and not like an encyclopedia. "All money donated to TWLOHA goes towards bringing hope and help to meet people right where they are." How much does it cost to bring hope? :) I think this ought to be reworded to be more neutral. Also, is "all money" accurate? They don't spend any money on salaries, office rental, travel, or advertising? All the best, – Quadell ^{(talk) (random)} 23:17, 3 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Possible Vandalism?

The "Legal Issues" section has been deleted by the same user twice in the past few days with no explanation.71.49.16.143 (talk) 23:02, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It's probably because the lawsuit is not a significant event in the history of the organization. If the Disney article contained long quotes from everyone who received c&d letters from Disney, the article would contain nothing else.

For this section to stay, you need to find secondary sources (not just self-published sources) that say why the legal issue is significant. For instance, are there independent news articles which say that the c&d information provided by empties is both true and important? For more, please read Wikipedia:Reliable sources. – Quadell ^(talk) 09:45, 25 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

This article doesn't look very encyclopedic.

I'd suggest not to delete it, but to clean it up.
When I take a quick look over the article, all I see are numbers and [citation needed]s

008'/,treme (talk) 20:11, 17 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

What's up with the name?

What's up with the name? The quotation in the article, "[…] we will be her church, the body of Christ coming alive to meet her needs, to write love on her arms", makes me think it might be some kind of Christian Biblical reference? Whatever it is, I think it's probably worth mentioning in the article. —Ruakh_TALK 13:49, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Problem with citations

The part of the faq cited for it being inter-faith & non-profit (http://twloha.com/faq) just links to a sample page with no content just "lorum ipsum". There's faqs here http://twloha.com/faqs/general but can't see a claim/statement that they;re interfaith just that they don't view themselves as a Christian organisation.

"We are not a Christian organization. Although there are people on staff who are Christians and even some Christian elements in the original story, this is an organization for all people. Because we believe issues like addiction, depression, self-injury, and suicide affect everyone, we are an organization for everyone, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, race, ability, nationality, or other differences. As an organization, we aim to be inclusive and inviting for everyone."

- but they still have "God is still in the business of redemption." in their vision statement from the founder Jamie Tworkowski http://twloha.com/vision & I've seen their merch (wristbands/badges/t-shirts) sold in a local UK Christian bookshop that explicitly does not sell non-Christian goods.

The whole thing has a very religious or a new age spiritual youth group feel to it & two of the organisations the money goes to are explicitly religious - offering "Faith Based counselling" & including "Biblical precepts" as equal to psychological concepts & mental health techniques. http://twloha.com/faqs/financial-donations

Does say on the faq page that they're non-profit - "Are you a non-profit organization? Yes, TWLOHA, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Tax ID number 26-0789229. A copy of our IRS approval letter can be found in the Finances section of our website. To see where donations to TWLOHA go, visit our Donate page."

Also what do the story tellers & chapters actually do except exploit their fe llow students for money and awareness of the organisation & does TWLOHO actually do anything positive except sell mrch, promote itself, donate some money to already existing organisations and encourage emo bands to perform & students to think buying & wearing merch & posting on facebook is all caring and sharing and helping people.109.224.137.121 (talk) 01:26, 5 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Typo?

The last sentence of the first paragraph doesn't read correctly, but I don't know enough about this subject to correct it. Does it mean that they encourage people to live as a part of society, or as a society, or something else? Please can someone more knowledgeable edit this for us? Thank you AndrewJFulker (talk) 11:23, 27 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]