TLP Empowers Girls With Snail Mail (x PunkPost)

By: Brenna Malmberg, PunkPost
Article about The Letter Project

The Letter Project Empowers Girls With Snail Mail (x PunkPost)

“When we stumbled upon The Letter Project, we immediately had to learn more. It’s a nonprofit that empowers women of all ages through the power of snail mail. That concept is so rad, so we caught up with the organization’s Executive Director Paige Thompson to learn more and let you know how you could get involved.” (MORE HERE)

Why Is The Letter Project Great for Snail Mail Lovers?

It's a great way for women who love to write to write more. We provide our volunteers with background information on who they are writing to so you can learn a bit about what's going on in her life, the region she's from, etc. Our writers get to choose who they write to and how often to sign up. I like that writers often choose the recipients they feel most connected to - something in her story resonates with them and the letters that abound from this method are so powerful.

Read more here and watch a live interview with PunkPost and TLP here.

[Writer Experience] Send With Love

By: Mahiya Agarwal
TLP Letter Writer

The Letter Project = Send With Love

The purpose of The Letter Project, of sending letters to girls around the world, is to send with love. And that is exactly what it does.

Amidst the pandemic, I was looking for a virtual opportunity to volunteer for a good cause. This is how I came across The Letter Project. I had never heard of such a cause and found it inspiring, which is why I wanted to contribute to such an empowering organization.

I began writing letters for girls all around the world, just as the other letter writers do. The Letter Project helped me help women around the world who were struggling or going through a tough time, which was such a rewarding feeling.

 While writing to these girls, it made me think about how healing and inspiring this is for the women and girls who receive these letters. I thought about how I would feel so supported and loved if I were to receive these letters, which showed me how much of a difference this cause makes to so many girls.

These letters come from a place of understanding. They are sent with love.

 We might all be situated in different parts of the world, but we come together in our identity as women and girls. We all help one another in going through difficult times in our lives. We send our letters with love. 

This cause has taught me so much.

It has taught me that it is okay to struggle sometimes.

It has taught me that I am not alone.

It has taught me that treating people with kindness can make a large impact.

It has taught me that little things go a long way.

It has taught me that women are strong, beautiful, and kind, no matter their treatment or perception in society.

 These lessons have empowered me in my own life and have allowed me to send letters with love.

The Letter Project should therefore be supported because of its amazing contribution to women all around the world. It empowers women and supports them through their times in need, which is a priceless gift. Sometimes people need to be reminded of their worth and their beauty, which is something that The Letter Project allows letter writers to do. It has been so impactful to so many women and girls around the world, for letter writers and recipients alike.

There are many ways that you can support The Letter Project and I urge you to consider them all.

Become A Letter Writer - this is an extremely rewarding experience that will teach you how invaluable it is to be kind to others. You will be given the opportunity to touch the hearts and minds of women and girls around the world. Use your experiences to handwrite a letter to a lucky girl or woman and remember to send it with love!

 Donate - this is an extremely impactful way to contribute to The Letter Project without writing a letter. The Letter Project is a nonprofit, so donations will allow the organization to financially support the staff and administration that work so hard to uphold this amazing cause and organization.

Spread The Word - spreading the word about The Letter Project is another great way to support the organization. Tell your family, friends, peers, and anyone who will listen about The Letter Project and its cause. Attracting more attention to the organization will bring more support and help The Letter Project reach more women and girls, which is the ultimate goal.

I hope you will consider offering your support to The Letter Project and help keep the cause of uplifting and supporting women and girls around the world alive. I love The Letter Project and I know you will too!

This was created and sent with love.

[Writer Experience] Connection for the disconnected

By: Jaclyn Weber-Hiil
TLP Letter Writer

Connection for the disconnected

The year of 2020 was a challenge for me. I was dealing with the “new normal” of a pandemic but I was also forced to confront my lowest point of mental health head-on. I began talk therapy in August 2020 and am still actively going. In therapy, I talk a lot about myself, but my first therapist decided to send me on the journey of talking to others. My anxiety was very severe at that point in my treatment and I needed to be taken out of my own head and find the connection that I was missing so much in a world where social distancing was a safety measure. To fulfill the missing connection, he wanted me to write letters to other people also in need of connection or encouragement. I went to Google and started looking for the right fit of letter writing and how I could embark on a safe and emotionally fulfilling journey, which is how I found The Letter Project. I signed up to become a letter writer and began to read through the requests for bundles from the women and girls on behalf of themselves or the family and friends on the behalf of their loved ones. After reading through the requests and writing my first initial letter, I was hooked.

I loved the idea of sending encouragement out into the world to others who needed it, just like I did and still do sometimes. I loved reading the brave stories of people who solicited help for themselves, but I am also touched by those who solicit help for the loved ones who may not always see themselves as worthy of needed encouragement. I was eventually able to request a bundle for myself, in hopes to have my very own little piece of this beautifully baked pie that this organization had created.

I didn’t really understand the impact of the bundle until over 20 plus letters from all over the world began to filter into my mailbox.

Hand-written, decorated, and beautifully written words of encouragement began to pile up and I was in awe. Let’s face it, 2020 was a challenging year for humanity globally, so the idea that so many people read my story and chose to take time out of their days to lift me up was life-changing. The bundle of letters made me feel seen, loved, and like I had a cheering section from all over the four corners of this beautiful planet.

I wanted to pay it forward in some way and offer a connection of hope, the same connection served to me in a time where I believed in so little of hope myself.

The letters offered me a chance to give myself a break from worry and stress. A chance to sit still and read over and over the importance of small but impactful gestures. Every week became my moment to pause and pray that I would deliver the same feeling to girls and women around the world. I wrote for every letter that I received and then some. A cathartic process that allowed me to realize what I had in me was not just a gift to others, but myself as well.

As I took the time from my day with a message of hope and encouragement via stamps and handwritten letters, I felt an unspoken network grow. We all need little reminders once in a while that we can achieve anything we set our minds to, no matter how big or small. It was to a point that every letter I wrote I felt a piece of myself become stronger knowing that I could make the same impact I had been blessed with. It has been a full circle process and so unexpected, just as the past year has become.

As we begin to transition back to our normal “before” lives, I gained a lasting effect to reach out and not only find the sunshine in the clouds for myself but also provide it to others who are on the same journey I am and may not even know it.

[Writer Experience] Being a Writer

By Carmen Vazquez Garcia  
TLP Letter Writer

My experience writing for The Letter Project (in English)

Some time ago I was looking for the opportunity to belong as a volunteer writing letters of support and I found The Letter Project. I loved the mission and what it stands for and did not hesitate to register immediately as soon as I was accepted as a letter writer.

I started writing letters and soon discovered that when you write to help others, you heal yourself too.

It is a process where you discover that others have also gone through similar situations in life.

It is a rewarding experience because you can also create a group in your community to write letters and thus, we all support each other.

You may be thinking that it is difficult to write a letter of support, but you do not have to write long letters. Just use your skills and creativity! You can write a poem, a story, talk about a situation that you have overcome, a phrase of encouragement, cards, song, drawing, and/or painting.

The Letter Project needs people of goodwill who help change lives in a positive way, and most importantly, make women, girls, and adolescents feel that they are not alone — that they have the support of women throughout the world who remind them how valuable they are. Together, we need to be part of change [in society] because there is a lot of violence against women and things in society that denigrates the dignity of being a woman.

Letters have the power to transform lives through postal mail which is the traditional and more exciting way to receive something! What an unexpected and welcome surprise the contents of a letter will bring you.

My advice when you are going to write a letter for The Letter Project is:

• Read carefully about the situation that the young woman has. Use your creativity to send her a message according to her situation giving her encouragement.

• I always look for a way to transmit joy and enthusiasm despite the situation, always with due respect for the circumstance. I close my letters with a phrase of meditation and inspiration.

• I like to accompany the letters with a personalized handmade card, just as the letters must be handwritten so that each has a unique and original meaning.

• You can also organize a The Letter Project Write Night, even with Covid 19 protocols and restrictions. You can wear a mask and social distance or do a virtual event!

Mi experiencia al escribir

The Letter Project

Hace algún tiempo buscaba la oportunidad de pertenecer como voluntaria escribiendo cartas de apoyo y encontré The Letter Project me encantó dicho proyecto y no dude en registrarme de inmediato tan pronto recibí la respuesta comencé a escribir cartas y descubrí que cuando escribes para ayudar a otros te sanas a ti misma porque, es un proceso donde descubres que también otras han pasado por las mismas situaciones alguna vez en la vida, resulta una experiencia gratificante porque también puedes crear un grupo en tu comunidad para escribir cartas y asi todas nos apoyamos mutuamente. Quizás estés pensando que es difícil escribir una carta de apoyo no tienes que escribir largas cartas simplemente descubre tus habilidades y creatividad, puedes escribir un poema, cuento, situación que hayas superado, una frase de ánimo, tarjetas, canción, dibujo, pintura. The Letter Project necesita personas de buena voluntad que ayuden a cambiar vidas de forma positiva, y lo mas importante hacerles sentir a las mujeres, niñas, o adolescente, que no están solas que cuentan con el apoyo de mujeres a través del mundo que les recuerdan lo valiosa que son, necesitamos ser parte del cambio porque existe mucha violencia contra la mujer, maltrato y abuso, pornografia canciones con doble sentido, y palabras insultantes que denigran la dignidad de ser mujer. Las cartas tienen el poder de transformar vidas a través del correo postal que es la forma tradicional y más emocionante como cuando esperas con ansias que llegue el cartero porque esperas una carta y no sabes qué, dirá qué sorpresa, te traerá. Mis consejos para cuando vayas a escribir una carta de apoyo es el siguiente lee con detenimiento el contenido de la situación que tenga la joven, usa tu creatividad y mandale un mensaje acorde con su situación dándole ánimo, en mi caso siempre busco la forma de transmitir alegría y entusiasmo pese a la situación, siempre desde el debido respeto y finalizó con alguna frase de meditación, e inspiración a mi me gusta acompañar las cartas con una tarjeta personalizada hecha a mano, al igual las cartas deben ser escritas a mano. Para que tengan un sentido único y original. también puedes organizar una noche de escritura puedes organizar tu grupo registrándote en la página The Letter Project  y cómo planeas que será esta noche cuantas serán tus invitadas tomar fotos del evento y a escribir. En nuestra vida cotidiana siempre existe un motivo para reunirse y organizar algún evento se que por el Covid 19 todo ha estado restringido pero siguiendo los protocolos de seguridad podemos realizar ciertas actividades al aire libre usando la mascarilla y el distanciamiento.

TLP | Amazon Smile

We are all too familiar with Amazon’s impressive ability to turn up the corners of our lips. Between the great deals, endless merchandise, and ease of purchasing, it is the online gift that keeps on giving. 

And it doesn’t stop there. 

Amazon Smile (smile.amazon.com) is the same beloved Amazon site you know and love but works to use a percentage of your purchase to give back to a charity or nonprofit of your choosing, including The Letter Project. They'll donate to your favorite charitable organization, at no cost to you.

It’s Simple. 

1. Visit Smile.Amazon.com and log in to your standard Amazon account. If you do not yet have an Amazon account, you can create a new one through the site, free of charge. 

2. Once signed in, you can pick one of the millions of nonprofits and charities to support with your purchases. You can choose The Letter Project by using the search tool and clicking on The Letter Project Inc, based in Atlanta, GA.

3. Start shopping! In order for your purchases to contribute to your charity of choice, you have to continue shopping on Smile.Amazon.com. Accidentally forget to log in on AmazonSmile and have a whole cart on the traditional Amazon site? No worries, just log in to AmazonSmile and all of your bookmarks, cart items, and account information will carry over. (Seriously, it’s that easy). 

By using Amazon Smile and selecting The Letter Project as your charity of choice, you can continue to support TLP’s mission and encourage women across the globe from the comfort of your home. Put your next package towards someone’s next letter.

Click here to learn more about AmazonSmile.