ABOUT
My name is Nicole Vana and I am the proud founder and creator of Spreading The Love and I welcome you to our website! Spreading The Love is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to fighting the stigma surrounding bullying, mental health, and suicide through education, awareness, and social support.
When I was 17 years old, I wanted to end my life. In October 2013, I decided to create an anonymous Twitter account to help me cope with what I was going through by connecting with others from around the world. Many of these people eventually became close friends of mine. In many ways, that account and those people saved my life. In 2014, I decided to change the name of my anonymous account and use it to talk to people who were struggling in life. I wanted to provide hope and support to other people, just like so many others had done for me. As my account grew, I found myself growing a passion for helping people who felt helpless. Many of my family members, friends, and classmates began to learn about my work and the support was overwhelming. In April 2017, Spreading The Love became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the same account that initially began as an anonymous Twitter account for a depressed and suicidal 17-year-old girl is changing the lives of thousands of people around the world.
I have many projects that I am currently working on through my organization, including an app, called My Pals, that will provide social support for those who are struggling with feeling alone and hopeless. For more information on the app, you can check out our FAQ page here. I am also collaborating with students from across the country to help bring awareness to mental health and suicide to their schools and communities through my You Matter campaign. If you are interested in being a student representative of the You Matter campaign in your community, you can contact us here.
None of this would've been possible without the amazing support of my family and friends. This is just the beginning of an amazing journey and I would love for you to join it. We can be the generation that ends the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide. Let's fight it together. Together we are stronger.
Nicole Vana
Founder and President, Spreading The Love