Building Bridges to Hope

Join us at the Cliffbreakers Event Center for an evening filled with inspiration and connection. Our annual Building Bridges event is designed to bring together individuals from all walks of life to foster hope and unity in our community through a mental health lens.

This year, we're thrilled to welcome Jamie Tworkowski, a storyteller whose words have touched many. Jamie is the New York Times bestselling author of If You Feel Too Much. He founded the non-profit organization To Write Love on Her Arms in 2006, born from an attempt to help a friend and tell a story. TWLOHA is now recognized as an award-winning leader in mental health and suicide prevention. After fifteen years with the organization, Jamie recently stepped away to begin a new chapter, focusing on speaking and writing independently.

A two-time TEDx speaker, Jamie has inspired audiences at universities, concerts, and conferences across the United States and as far away as Australia and the United Kingdom. He has been interviewed by Rolling Stone, NBC Nightly News, and CBS Sunday Morning. Jamie is a lifelong surfer and he lives in Melbourne Beach, Florida.

Jamie is passionate about telling stories that encourage people and sharing what he’s learned over the last decade and a half, both in his surprising journey with TWLOHA and as an individual who struggles with depression. Driven by compassion, Jamie invites us to explore what it means to truly care for one another, especially through the challenges of mental illness. He believes deeply in the power of stories to bring hope to those who may be struggling, reminding us all that life is worth living.

Before the program, you get the opportunity to meet with dozens of local mental health resources in our community, including those funded by the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board. We look forward to sharing this meaningful evening with you!

This program is funded by the through a voter approved, half-cent sales tax for mental health services.

Questions or accommodation requests: [email protected]

Info: Refreshments provided

Host or Publisher NAMI Northern Illinois