We are working with Letters Against Depression as our service project this year. At Letters Against Depression, volunteers write letters of hope and support to people all over the world, spreading the message that you are not alone, and that you matter. Letters Against Depression started in November of 2014 with one person, and has sent letters to over 1,000 people from amazing places like Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, India, England, Scotland, Germany, Crete, Peru, Ireland, Sudan...the list goes on and on.
That is where amazing people (like you) come in. With more people coming on as volunteers, even for just a letter or two, Letters Against Depression can have an even greater impact!
Hope and Support Letter Writer
As a Hope and Support Letter Writer, you will be sending handwritten letters to people all over the globe who are battling depression and other mental illnesses. You will be able to choose who you would like to write to from the LAD Volunteer Portal, where the letter recipients have a short bio about themselves. Individuals applying to be a Hope and Support Letter Writer should have fair/decent handwriting and fair/good written communication skills.
These letters are at least 1 page in length (think college ruled paper type size), and are upbeat, positive, and deliver the message that “You are not alone” and that “You matter”.
When you claim an assignment as a Hope and Support Letter Writer, you must complete the letter within 2 weeks of claiming it in the portal and mail it to Letters Against Depression for delivery.
Feel free to introduce yourself, talk about your experiences with depression/anxiety/mental illness, and basically just try to connect with them. This is exactly like if you would be writing a letter to your friend. Use their "Story" that they give us to further connect with them. Feel free to include an email or return address in your letter if you would like, in case they would like to write back. Once you are done, you mail the letter to Letters Against Depression and they will make sure it gets to the recipient.
To sign up to be a Hope and Support Letter Writer, go to lettersagainst.org/volunteer