Bring Hope #into17

Thanksgiving is often a time to reflect on the year past, a chance to express gratitude.  According to the CDC, 25 million Americans suffer from depression each year. That's about 1 in every 12 people, so chances are, you know someone battling depression. During 2014,42,773 turned to suicide and almost 494,169 visited the hospital for self-harm behavior. Despite these alarming statistics, suicide, self-injury and depression are highly stigmatized and treatment, research and awareness campaigns are underfunded in comparison to other charitable organizations. For those battling depression, self-injury and suicidal thoughts, the holiday season is not always so bright. It can be wrought with anxiety or loneliness. Although this is not my battle, I have been on the sidelines. For this reason, every day, especially during the holiday season, I count my blessings that despite any dark periods, my family is still whole. I take these weeks to hug tighter, love bigger, and most importantly, pay it forward to those still looking for help.

So, what can you do?

 1. Be a friend.

2. Don't be afraid to ask questions (are you ok, do you need help?).

3. Share your story, inspire others. Spark conversation, slowly break the stigma.

Ross and I proudly wear our TWLOHA tshirts and share our family story whenever people
ask or recognize, which is more often than I ever expected.

4. Donate to a cause you believe in. Mine is To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA).

To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.

Learn more about TWLOHA and their story.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, #givingtuesday was started 4 years ago as a tradition to bring charity back to the holiday season. This year, kicking off on Giving Tuesday, To Write Love on Her Arms is kicking off their "Bring Hope #into17" campaign, hoping to raise $100,000 by midnight on December 31.

When the clock strikes midnight, 2017 will begin. With the first sunrise you will be invited to start over or keep going, to heal, and most importantly, to hold on to the hope for a better tomorrow. 

Learn more about the Bring Hope #into17 campaign.

To kickstart the Bring Hope #into17, the generous folks at GoodWorld are offering a free $10 donation to anyone who signs up for their website before November 28th. Signing up and claiming your $10 is easy. This is a no strings attached donation that go directly to funding treatment and recovery to those in need. It really is as easy as 1, 2, 3...check out my 3 step how-to below. If you're feeling extra generous, you can add to that $10 donation or head to my Bring Hope #into17 page. Really feeling inspired? Start your own fundraising page for #into17!

"If you're reading this, if there's air in your lungs, then you're alive today tonight right now." 
-Jamie Tworkowski, "Welcome to Midnight"

A Happy, Hopeful Thanksgiving to all.

Step 1:

Follow the link to GoodWorld and create an account. I signed up using my Facebook account.

Step 2:
Confirm that you want to link GoodWorld to your social media account. You will be redirected back to your donor homepage.

Step 3:
Input your credit card information. YOUR CREDIT CARD WILL ONLY BE CHARGED IF YOU SELECT A DONATION AMOUNT OVER $10. A donation of $10 or less will use your signup credit. You will be redirected to your donor dashboard where you can confirm that you want to donate your credit to TWLOHA.