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Write a letter

Kindness Letter Directory

Some people go weeks without meaningful social interaction.

A kindness letter, card, or postcard takes ten minutes to write. For a person who lives alone, it can be the only mail they get all week.

The programs below put your handwritten note in the hands of someone who needs a smile: a hospital room, a care home, a mailbox at a base far from home. Most are free, all of them real snail mail we've checked by hand. Pick who you'd like to write to, and send something kind out into the world.

An older person sitting alone on a chair in a doorway, looking out at the yard.

💌 Our Own Program

The Slow Mail Society's own monthly comfort-letter movement.

The Smilewrights

A monthly letter-writing movement: members handwrite one comfort letter a month, by the last Sunday, to isolated people in care homes and hospitals through partner charities. Make smiles by hand, the slow way.

Free
Join us →
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What to actually say

Not sure how to fill the page?

Choosing who to write to is the easy part. Here is how to write a letter that lands warm, personal, and genuinely comforting.

Start here The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Letter Everything about putting a real letter together, from the first line to the envelope. For anyone who wants their words to land.
How to Write a Get-Well Letter How to Write a Thinking-of-You Letter How to Write a Thank-You Letter How to Write a Sympathy Letter Letter-Writing Prompts When You're Stuck How to Write a Warm, Personal Letter
Good to know

Kindness letter questions

Do these cost anything?
Almost all are free. You provide the letter or card and, usually, a stamp. A few programs even cover postage. There is nothing to buy here, just a little of your time.
Will I get a reply?
Usually not, and that's the point. Most of these are one-way kindness: you brighten someone's day with no expectation back. If you'd like an ongoing back-and-forth instead, that's what Pen Pals is for.
Will my home address be shared?
For most card and letter drives, you mail to the organization, not to the person, so your address stays private. Programs that involve writing to someone in prison or detention use their own rules for how mail is relayed. Always follow each program's instructions.
Are these organizations vetted?
Yes. Every program here is hand-checked, a real organization sending real physical mail. We leave out app-based and email-only services on purpose.
Can kids write these letters?
Absolutely, with a parent helping. Making a card for a hospitalized child or a lonely senior is one of the kindest screen-free activities there is.