The Letterbox Project

Still reflecting on some of the positives that came out of 2020 one of my favourite initiatives is The Letterbox Project.

The Letterbox Project sends handwritten letters from all across Australia to people experiencing isolation and loneliness. They source writers, manage and approve all letters, and deliver them safety to vulnerable people.

The Letterbox Project quickly become a national service supporting tens of thousands of people. With over 13,000 writers they are averaging over 500 letters being sent each week into nursing homes, disability services, and to lonely people across the country. There are over 270 schools participating, and a growing list of large corporations getting involved.

Why did this all come about ?

1. There are up to 240,000 Australians in residential care and 40% receive no visitors.
2. 1 in 8 adults with a disability get less than 30 minutes a day interaction with another person.
3. 2.5 million Australians are not connected to the internet.
4. There are more than 6,000 young people with disabilities in permanent residential care.
5. Loneliness and Isolation are major predictors of mental health issues.

For further information about Why see here: https://www.connectedau.com.au/the-letterbox

I signed up early in the piece and have been corresponding with a nonagenarian in a nursing home in Tasmania with a passion for cats. It’s surprisingly difficult to write enthusiastically pages and pages about felines and indeed a handwritten letter takes effort after many years on a word processor. ( as long term victims of my annual Christmas letter will confirm).

This task is rolling over as a 21 project.