Letter Requirements
Your letters must adhere to specific requirements in order for L4B to validate the amount of time you spent serving the community:
Letters must be handwritten and at least 5 sentences in length.
End each letter by signing with your first name or a nickname.
Every letter has to be distinct and meaningful. Including funny jokes or a nice quotation in your letter is one approach to make it more unique. For more visual appeal, add some vibrant stickers or drawings.
Quality over quantity is what we aim for!
Don't bring up politics, religion, or health. This covers, but is not restricted to, prayers and allusions to God or other religious scriptures. Since we are an inclusive organization, it is essential that we avoid causing discomfort to our readers.
While searching for general concepts online is acceptable, your writing must be original and seem intimate to our seniors.
Stationery
Use cardstock, plain paper, construction paper, printed stationery, or blank notecards to write your letters.
Keep the letter size appropriate, yet not small as it may be difficult for seniors to hold tiny letters
Cardstock folded into halves are sturdy, easy, and an inexpensive option for notecards.
Make sure to add some color and happiness to your letters if you are using plain paper.
You may attach stickers, sketches, or cutout images to your letters using glue.
No glitter is allowed.
When sending more than one letter, you do not need to put each letter into a separate envelope.
Letter-Writing Ideas
In the end, authenticity is more significant than polished speech. It's acceptable if the words you use aren't poetic because they come directly from the heart, making the connection we want. The fact that you took the time out of your day to get in touch with your reader will be greatly appreciated.
Start your letter with a greeting such as Dear/Hello/Greetings, Friend! … or … Sending Smiles or Wishing you a happy day from [your location]!
Anything happy and pleasant is welcome to be written about, including your home, your pets, your favorite season, color, food, pastimes, or location, as well as anything silly!
Simple questions can be used to elicit memories from the elderly or determine whether you two could have something in common.
Think about mentioning that they are cherished, appreciated, special, and one-of-a-kind. Send your best wishes for happiness, joy, comfort, and smiles.
Jokes, quotes,drawings, stickers or colored pens and pencils can enhance your letters.
Do not create letters that contain words or images from specific holidays as you don't know whether or not the recipient celebrates that specific holiday. Instead, keep it seasonal themed. (For example, you can say "Happy Holidays!", but not "Merry Christmas!")
Mailing and Postage
When sending more than one letter, you do not need to put each letter into a separate envelope.
Double-check to ensure that you have addressed the letter properly.
Make sure that the handwriting on the envelope is legible. Avoid cursive IF possible.
Write “Letters4theBetter” and any notes such as the number of letters enclosed within each envelope.
We recommend that you write your return address on the envelope, but this is not mandatory.
View the envelope format below.
Earning Credit Hours
Each letter should take approximately 30 minutes to compose.
L4B awards 2 service hour for every 4 handwritten letters that you write and mail.
You must send us photos of your actual handwritten messages.
Take clear photos of your cards ensuring that we will be able to read what has been written through the photo. If you need to take multiple photos, you may do so. We must be able to tell how many cards were written.
You must mail your letters within 5 days of submission of your completion form that you will receive via email.
Only once the completion form is submitted will you be able to receive your service credit, whether it be through your digital log, or an emailed digital copy of our signed official verification of your service hours. Check your spam filter if you don't see the email in your inbox.
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