Letter Writers Alliance

Resolve to Write

If you're looking for a more purposeful New Year, consider adding political letter writing to your agenda. I am constantly impressed and inspired by Handwritten Revolution and their work. There's no better time than now and it couldn't be easier, really. Plus, if you're local to Portland, OR you may join them for a monthly social. #mailtheworldabetterplace

Operation Santa

Every year, thousands are sent to Santa and the North Pole each year. The mission of the U.S.P.S. Operation Santa® program is to answer these letters. I've complained about the obtuseness of bureaucracy surrounding the Letter to Santa volunteer program in the past. This year is feeling different. This year, it really does seem like the U.S.P.S. has made it easy to "be an elf" and adopt a child's letter. Operation Santa has a clear website and is easy to use. I like that there's both individual and team options. Also, if you know someone that needs help writing to Santa, there's a nice kit for that. I'm looking forward to participating this year. Won't you join me?

More Love Letters : 12 Days of Letter Writing

If you're looking for a meaningful postal connection beyond just your annual holiday cards, I highly recommend getting involved with More Love Letter's 12 Days of Letter Writing. Their's is a project we at L.W.A.H.Q. wholeheartedly support and champion at any time of year, but we felt like this project in particular was a good highlight of the spirit of the season. They have selected twelve people in need of support and are posting an address a day. From December 2 - 13, they'll share a new letter request each morning. You'll have the day to write to someone who needs more love, encouragement, and light. Write as many letters as you want! I find their Instagram page to be the easiest way to find out who to write. Our love goes out to all the letter writers and all the letter readers.

Thinking of You Week

The week of September 23 - 29 has been branded "Thinking of You Week" and is a global effort to promote the sending of greeting cards. It's definitely sponsored and promoted by the Greeting Card Association, but hey, just like how we offer stationery but don't require you to use it, they don't mind if you're making your own cards. They just want you sending more of them. Shucks, we can get behind that!

 

There's a special postmark for the week (same as the one from the event last year and, regrettably, in spray) if you mail your cards from the U.S.P.S. Like all modern mail movements, there's some fun hashtags to use: #thinkingofyouweek, #sendacarddeliverasmile, #cardstories. If you needed a push to use those perfect cards instead of hoarding them and then forgetting that you have them (which may or may not be a statement from personal experience), this is as good a time as any to send them out and make someone's day!

 

There are people hosting various events, like Amanda, who is running mail art workshops in Dallas and D.C. Her picture is being used to illustrate this post; so you can see she's got a lot of good stuff to share. The hashtags have a lot of giveaways happening, as well as other promotions. Check it out. Send a card. Write more letters!

Squeezebox Press

Sometimes people like to ask me what the best part of the Letter Writers Alliance is and my answer is always that it is the people I have met through the mail. I am extremely fortunate to have gotten to know you all in your wondrous ways. It brings me great pleasure when a pen friend becomes a friend friend and I am so lucky to have so many friends. What's more, you all are so impressively talented. I'm always so pleased when I can showcase those talents to the rest of our Alliance.

The Squeezebox Press is run by the unparalleled Emma. She's a musician and artist and one of the most amazing people I've ever met. She's got great stationery and cards for sale that she creates on her press in Maine. I gave a number of them as holiday gifts this year. I'm not just impressed with the stationery. I'm over the moon with the things she's started to share on her Instagram. Check out this great tutorial for making an envelope! Look at her post on clever enclosures! This is what I love to see; people playing with mail and how it can connect us. 

Thanks for being a member, Emma. Thanks for reading everyone! If you've got a cool member to highlight, let us know in the comments or send me an email on them! I love spreading our positive influence!

Write To Snail Mail Summer Camp

Dear Friends at Letter Writers Alliance, 

I am writing from sunny south Florida where I am the archivist at the Delray Beach Historical Society. We are getting ready for a second year of our popular Snail Mail Camp! 

 

The camp introduces kids to the excitement and creativity of letter writing. Campers connect with pen pals, tinker with typewriters, design stationery, practice with quills, etc etc etc. It is so much fun.  

 

I am writing to inquire whether anyone in your group might be interested in sending letters to our campers. Last year we received more than 200 letters from around the globe, and this year we are hoping to double that. 

 

I must emphasize that this isn’t really a pen pal program; the goal here is really just to introduce kids to the joys of snail mail. 

 

If you are at all interested, here is some information: 

 

*** All letters will be opened in the presence of adults *** 

 

Mail letters to: 

 

Snail Mail Campers

Delray Beach Historical Society

3 NE 1st Street 

Delray Beach, FL 33444 

 

You can address your letter with “Dear Camper…” If your letter is best suited to a specific gender or age, just write a note on the back: “Boy age 10+” 

 

Thank you so much for your consideration. I love knowing that you guys are out there writing to each other! 

 

All the best,

Kate 

 

Sure thing, Kate! Thanks for asking! This is a camp I would have definitely loved as a kid. Heck, I'd love it now!!!  If you have room in your queue for  another letter or two, add them to your roster.

Stamp Out Hunger

This Saturday, May 11th is the date for this year's Stamp Out Hunger food drive. This drive is the single largest single-day drive and over a billion pounds of food since its start in 1993. The National Association of Letter Carriers collected over 74 million pounds of food last year and hopes to do even better this year. You can help! To participate, just leave a bag of non-perishable food items out by your mailbox for your carrier to collect on May 11th. That means things like canned and boxed goods, pasta, rice and peanut butter. I don't know how much easier it can get to help people. You don't have to do anything but put stuff in a bag and leave it by the mailbox. Just call your post office to see if they are participating. According to the FAQ, don't worry if the food isn't collected on Saturday. They'll also pick up on Monday. Thanks to the hard-working and love-giving mail carriers for doing all the work!

National Card & Letter Writing Month

This year, 2019, the Year of the Post Box, feels like a really good year for National Card & Letter Writing Month. I am seeing socials being organized in many cities. I am seeing so many letters being posted. I am seeing a true embrace of letter writing across our culture.

I'm very impressed with what I see going on over at the Constellation & Co. - Snail Mail Superstar. I could probably do a whole month of posts that just reference all the of the cool stuff that Sara has going on sharing her mail love with the world. Instead, I leave that link here for you to inspire your April. I plan to showcase a few other creative people and their plans for National Card & Letter Writing Month as well. 

How have you prepared? How will you celebrate? Let's all write more letters!

P.S. Awesome envelope hand lettering from @addressmedallas on Instagram who is hosting a letter social on the 7th!

Psst... Hey Kid, Wanna Know The World's Smallest Post Secrets

Hey. Yeah. You. You with the envelope sticking out of your bag. You with the postage stamp stuck to your shoe. Lea, the Postmaster of the World's Smallest Post Service has some BIG NEWS she's excited to share with you. She'll send you her news in the real mail if you email your name and mailing address to [email protected]. Wanna spread the secret? Add a friend's address too! Kick off your National Card & Letter Writing month with some clandestine postal actions. This is gonna be great. Trust me.

 

P.S. Not familiar with the W.S.P.? Well, take a look at this!

Victorian Letter Writers Guild

In case you're looking for more pen pals and you happen to be a woman, the Spring sign-up is happening now at the Victorian Letter Writers Guild. The letter exchange is a free service, but is exclusive to ladies age 18 or older. There is a friendly F.A.Q. that discusses that and more; for example, you don't have to write your letter with a quill pen just because "Victorian" is in the name. Sign-up is pretty simple. There's a short questionnaire to answer and then email to the organizer, Sarah. Registration closes on March 31st, but there are seasonal openings. If you aren't ready to participate now, you may want to bookmark it for the future. New sign-ups are posted on Facebook and Instagram as well.