Positive Messages and Actions

Our Organization

T W Y INC.

What is the name of your solution?

Positive Messages and Actions

Provide a one-line summary of your solution.

Low cost technological and other quality solutions to improve people's emotional and mental health.

What specific problem are you solving?

The following numbers by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) show the mental health conditions of people in the United States and around the world:

• 21% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2020 (52.9 million people). This represents 1 in 5 adults.
• 5.6% of U.S. adults experienced serious mental illness in 2020 (14.2 million people). This represents 1 in 20 adults.
• 16.5% of U.S. youth aged 6-17 experienced a mental health disorder in 2016 (7.7 million people).
• 6.7% of U.S. adults experienced a co-occurring substance use disorder and mental illness in 2020 (17 million people).
• Annual prevalence among U.S. adults, by condition:
  • Major Depressive Episode: 8.4% (21 million people)
  • Schizophrenia: <1% (estimated 1.5 million people)
  • Bipolar Disorder: 2.8% (estimated 7 million people)
  • Anxiety Disorders: 19.1% (estimated 48 million people)
  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: 3.6% (estimated 9 million people)
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: 1.2% (estimated 3 million people)
  • Borderline Personality Disorder: 1.4% (estimated 3.5 million

People around the world experienced mental health problems as well. The World Health Organization, Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, and Global Health Data Exchange state that in 2020, “Approximately 280 million people in the world have depression. At its worst, depression can lead to suicide. Over 700,000 people die due to suicide every year. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in 15-29-year-olds.”

In The 5 Love Languages by Dr. Gary Demonte Chapman, which sold more than 10 million copies, Dr. Chapman mentions the different ways that people express and receive love, such as words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, quality time, and physical touch. Unfortunately, during the COVID-19 government-mandated isolation from other people measures and nonessential business shutdowns, people were not able to satisfy their basic needs. People were not able to earn a living, provide for their needs, meet in person with loved ones, visit doctors in person, or even hug the people they love. These circumstances and many others contribute to the mental health crises today in the United States and around the world.

According to Greeting Card Association, “Americans purchase approximately 6.5 billion greeting cards each year. Annual retail sales of greeting cards are estimated between $7 and $8 billion.”

For these reasons, T W Y INC. strives to discover low-cost technological
and other quality solutions to improve people's mental health in the United States and eventually around the world.

What is your solution?

T W Y Inc. plans to improve people's lives through the following objectives:

• To reduce unemployment, poverty, hunger, and mental health problems by creating job opportunities for the most vulnerable populations, such as people of color, women, middle-aged people, elderly people, people with disabilities, and any other minority/new majority groups in the SF Bay Area.

• To conduct research on mental and emotional health situation in the United States, by gathering information from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Alliance on Mental Illness, etc.
  

• To collect data on people’s physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, psychological needs in order to improve their lives.
  
• To refer people to the resources they need, such as counseling and therapy, food pantries, elder care, welfare agencies, and other organizations.

• To produce calendars, framed prints, posters, gift books, stationary, journals, magnets, plaques, and other novelty items with social expressions in order to boost people’s morale.

• To meet the needs of those who seek words of affirmation and to create products with positive motivational messages. The people who choose “words of affirmation” as their primary love language need kind genuine heartfelt words to feel loved, valued, accepted, appreciated, and validated. These people need words of affirmation to feel good about themselves, whereas insults tear them down. Compliments boost their self-worth, whereas criticism damages their spirit. Because Debbie Sho understands the impact of words, she writes positive messages to inspire others. Her words of encouragement have already reached many people.  Her writings would appeal to people who purchase greeting cards. According to Greeting Card Association, “Americans purchase approximately 6.5 billion greeting cards each year. Annual retail sales of greeting cards are estimated between $7 and $8 billion.”

• To mobilize various entities like volunteers, individuals, and nonprofit and for-profit organizations to collaborate on charitable causes.

• To utilize technology like phone calls, text messaging, online chats, emails, videoconferencing, teleconferencing, social media, online publishing, word processing, and other technological advancements to improve people’s lives.
• To help underprivileged families and individuals through the collection of extra food, goods, clothes, and other excess items from civilians, nonprofits, and businesses to prevent surplus items from going to landfills.
• To participate in The Food Recovery Challenge, Zero Waste California, and other waste reduction programs.
• To clean up, beautify, and renovate private and public places, such as homes, businesses, beaches, parks, schools, etc.
• To pursue partnerships from multiple entities, such as individuals, families, foundations, businesses, and the Solve Grant in order to improve the world in which we live.

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

The following real-life examples illustrate how Debbie has improved the lives of others:

• Debbie's writings have been read by about 1 million people.

• A licensed therapist has incorporated Debbie’s poems into counseling sessions with patients to cheer them up and to help them improve their mental health. To this day, Debbie offers her inspirational poems to all kinds of people in order to brighten their days.
• Debbie has partnered with other volunteers to deliver food and other essentials to low-income families living in San Francisco Bay Area.
• Regarding environmental advocacy, Debbie recruited volunteers to clean up the beach in Half Moon Bay, California. Today, Debbie participates in recycling, The Food Recovery Challenge, Zero Waste California, and other waste prevention programs.
• Debbie and other volunteers collect extra food, goods, clothes, and other excess items from donors who deliver these surplus materials to underprivileged individuals and families instead of discarding them into trash bins. This practice would reduce the amount of trash in landfills. Waste prevention benefits disadvantaged people and the planet at the same time.
• Debbie collaborated with volunteers to handmake 479 appreciation cards for U.S. troops. Each card was accompanied by a care package for each soldier. Then they shipped all the care packages with appreciation cards to troops deployed to other locations. In response to the group effort, a representative of the military sent an exuberant letter of appreciation to the volunteers.

• Besides helping complete strangers from diverse backgrounds, Debbie serves people on a more personal basis. For instance, everyday Debbie assists several senior citizens with chores and errands, such as cleaning the house, purchasing groceries and other necessities, washing dishes, vacuuming the carpets, and driving to doctor’s visits and other places.
• Debbie has created thank-you cards with positive messages for over 40 mission partners. These leaders of various organizations serve destitute people in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

T W Y Inc. believes that partnerships with various entities maximize positive results. Developing relationships with diverse individuals, families, businesses, and organizations promote teamwork, peace, harmony, unity, kindness, compassion, generosity, and diversity. Therefore, T W Y INC. constantly seeks potential partnerships to amplify positive outcomes and improve the lives of others exponentially.

How are you and your team well-positioned to deliver this solution?

The team leader has a degree in English and enjoys encouraging people through inspirational messages and community service projects.

Furthermore, T W Y Inc. believes that partnerships with various entities maximize positive results. Developing relationships with diverse individuals,
families, businesses, and organizations promote teamwork, peace,
harmony, unity, kindness, compassion, generosity, and diversity.
Therefore, T W Y INC. constantly seeks potential partnerships to amplify
positive outcomes and improve the lives of others exponentially.

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

• Leverage existing systems, networks, and workflows to streamline the collection and interpretation of data to support meaningful use of primary health care data

Where our solution team is headquartered or located:

Our solution's stage of development:

How many people does your solution currently serve?

1 million

Why are you applying to Solve?

T W Y Inc. plans to improve people's lives through the following objectives:

• To reduce unemployment, poverty, hunger, and mental health problems by creating job opportunities for the most vulnerable populations, such as people of color, women, middle-aged people, elderly people, people with disabilities, and any other minority/new majority groups in the SF Bay Area.

• To conduct research on mental and emotional health situation in the United States, by gathering information from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Alliance on Mental Illness, etc.

• To collect data on people’s physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, psychological needs in order to improve their lives.
• To refer people to the resources they need, such as counseling and therapy, food pantries, elder care, welfare agencies, and other organizations.

• To produce calendars, framed prints, posters, gift books, stationary, journals, magnets, plaques, and other novelty items with social expressions in order to boost people’s morale.

• To meet the needs of those who seek words of affirmation and to create products with positive motivational messages. The people who choose “words of affirmation” as their primary love language need kind genuine heartfelt words to feel loved, valued, accepted, appreciated, and validated. These people need words of affirmation to feel good about themselves, whereas insults tear them down. Compliments boost their self-worth, whereas criticism damages their spirit. Because Debbie Sho understands the impact of words, she writes positive messages to inspire others. Her words of encouragement have already reached many people.  Her writings would appeal to people who purchase greeting cards. According to Greeting Card Association, “Americans purchase approximately 6.5 billion greeting cards each year. Annual retail sales of greeting cards are estimated between $7 and $8 billion.”

• To mobilize various entities like volunteers, individuals, and nonprofit and for-profit organizations to collaborate on charitable causes.

• To utilize technology like phone calls, text messaging, online chats, emails, videoconferencing, teleconferencing, social media, online publishing, word processing, and other technological advancements to improve people’s lives.
• To help underprivileged families and individuals through the collection of extra food, goods, clothes, and other excess items from civilians, nonprofits, and businesses to prevent surplus items from going to landfills.
• To participate in The Food Recovery Challenge, Zero Waste California, and other waste reduction programs.
• To clean up, beautify, and renovate private and public places, such as homes, businesses, beaches, parks, schools, etc.
• To pursue partnerships from multiple entities, such as individuals, families, foundations, businesses, and the Solve Grant in order to improve the world in which we live.

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Debbie Sho