By Diana Hofmann
Staff Reporter
Sacred Heart University’s club, To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA), hosted a Mental Health Channel event on Tuesday, Nov. 16 in the University Commons. The event was open to anyone and was free of charge.
To Write Love On Her Arms is a club that supports the non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with illnesses such as depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.
During this event, the club showed a collection of short documentaries featuring inspiring characters and heroic stories from across America. The night included a sneak peak of the Mental Health Channel’s new series “PBS Stories of the Mind,” as well as other videos from Academy award winner Ross Kauffman, Goro Toshima and other rising stars.
Senior Victoria Caputo is the president and founder of the club, which first came to Sacred Heart’s campus a year ago.
“I personally struggle with all of the illnesses such as depression, addiction, self-harm and suicide in which I face everyday. It really shocked me that being at Sacred Heart with plenty of students who may face these illnesses as well, that there was no club on campus to support students with these illnesses. So I decided to start this club here to help people in need,” said Caputo.
The goal of TWLOHA is to entertain, raise awareness, facilitate an open dialogue and help every individual realize their optimal mental health. TWLOHA wants to encourage, inform, inspire, and invest directly into treatment and recovery.
“To Write Love On Her Arms brings awareness to mental illnesses at SHU. We want people to know they aren’t alone in their struggles,” said senior Victoria Milhomens, Vice President of TWLOHA.
The title of the club was created in 2007 by the founder Jamie Tworkowski to title a story which he shared to help his friend Renne Yohe who struggled with addiction, depression, self-injury and suicidal thoughts. The title represents a goal to believe that a better life is possible and that you are not alone.
On the TWLOHA official website, according to Twokowski, “the vision is hope, and hope is real. You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story.”
TWLOHA believes that everyone can relate to pain. All of us live with questions, and all of us get stuck in moments, but everyone must know that they are not alone in places that they feel stuck. TWLOHA believes that hope is real and help is real.
“To Write Love On Her Arms was formed here to be a resource for people to be safe and to share their story without feeling judged. The continuous support is why I am a member and will continue to be,” said senior Michelle Scatamacchia.
All students may join the TWLOHA club at any time. For more information, contact club president Victoria Caputo at caputov@mail.sacredheart.edu.
