Denise's Writing Team - April 23 Drop

Write to Denise.

Age: 50-something
Requested by: Son
Location: Georgia, USA
Issue: Mental Health

What’s going on? Over the past couple years my mother has underwent numerous health issues, mostly related to her stomach. She has been to more doctors than she can count and thus far none have been able to identify the root cause of her issue. Today she endures extreme stomach pain every day but despite this does her best to continue to forge on. It has become increasingly difficult for her to continue to fight an uphill battle that feels as if it has no end destination.

What do you love most about this girl? My mother is one of those rare people that can talk to anyone about anything. There's hardly a room she can walk into without leaving knowing everyone's name and story. At work, she brings candy to give out to other coworkers because she knows morale is low, working in retail. If she sees an injustice happening to someone else, she makes a point to go to that person a acknowledge what has happened, and make sure that person doesn't feel alone, because she knows how it feels to be made feel lesser. She strives to be the lone bright spot in an otherwise dark day. She loves humor as a way to escape what can otherwise feel like a depressing time.

P.S.: My mother has other health issues in addition to her stomach. Chiefly, the one that bothers her most, is a tick on the left side of her face that has developed in the past couple years. The combination of several ailments has left her feeling like it's very difficult to continue to fight the battles life continues to throw at her. She has become increasingly isolated from her friends and family as a result. At some of her lower moments, she believes that no one truly understands her pain. I want her to know that she has the power within herself to continue to go on, and that she is not as alone as she thinks.

Write your letter and get it in the mail within one week to The Letter Project at P.O. Box 218, Kingsville, MO 64061. We’ll take it from there! You can place multiple letters in one envelope, as long as each letter/card clearly identifies the letter recipient.

Maria's Writing Team - April 23 Drop

Write to Maria.

Age: 40-something
Requested by: Friend
Location: Florida, USA
Issue: Breast Cancer

What’s going on? Maria is a blessed soul who is fighting metastatic breast cancer that has spread to her brain bones and liver. She is always helping others even though she is in the literal fight for her life!

What do you love most about this girl? Maria is a shining star! I literally love every about her!

Write your letter and get it in the mail within one week to The Letter Project at P.O. Box 218, Kingsville, MO 64061. We’ll take it from there! You can place multiple letters in one envelope, as long as each letter/card clearly identifies the letter recipient.

Jill's Writing Team - April 23 Drop

Write to Jill.

Age: 50-something
Requested by: Friend
Location: Ohio, USA
Issue: Breast Cancer

What’s going on? Jill is an amazing strong young woman who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and has a lot of life to still live. She just started Chemo and is loosing her hair. She is pushing through, but is also struggling. She is a mom, a friend and a wife. She is an entrepreneur so of course this is also taking a toll on her business.

What do you love most about this girl? her "go get her" attitude. She is fun, she is spicy and she is strong.

P.S.: Love on her. You would love her if you knew her!

Write your letter and get it in the mail within one week to The Letter Project at P.O. Box 218, Kingsville, MO 64061. We’ll take it from there! You can place multiple letters in one envelope, as long as each letter/card clearly identifies the letter recipient.

Regina's Writing Team - April 23 Drop

Write to Regina.

Age: 60s + 70s
Requested by: Daughter
Location: Connecticut, USA
Issue: Health

What’s going on? My mother has been struggling with her Hypothyriod/Hashimoto disease diagnosis. She has gained weight, lost a lot of her hair, eyelashes, eyebrows. She feels ugly. The medications she has to take give her horrible side effects. It’s been a drastic change, she’s often sick with it being an auto immune disease. She is sicker for longer. This whole thing has been making her feel less than, very unmotivated, and her positivity has dwindled. Her sisters simply don’t understand her and they often say that she must be making these things up. I live with her and I see for myself what she goes though and even more so of what she doesn’t voice. This has been life changing for her and she has no support system. Her sisters went behind her back and called me to tell me that my mom needs mental help. We have since cut them off, she’s has a nice therapist and we are working with her doctors for a change and some supplements that will potentially help her. I like that they have an open mind to this type of treatment and it turn its making her more positive and looking forward to the next part of her journey with the right support. I wish her nothing but the best and sometimes it takes switching things up to get it right!!

What do you love most about this girl? She’s strong and resilient even if she doesn’t think so. She’s usually the life of the party!! She’s also great at impersonating people. She’s been through a lot of tough situations in life, especially being alone from a young age with just depending on herself to make it through life. She became a mother at 15 and was literally at the hospital alone giving birth. How traumatic is that. I want her to know that the family she created with her husband (my father) and her kids love her and support her and there’s always hope.

Write your letter and get it in the mail within one week to The Letter Project at P.O. Box 218, Kingsville, MO 64061. We’ll take it from there! You can place multiple letters in one envelope, as long as each letter/card clearly identifies the letter recipient.

Aisha's Writing Team - April 23 Drop

Write to Aisha.

Age: 20-something
Requested by: Self
Location: Idaho, USA
Issue: Mental Health

What’s going on? I have been dealing with depression and anxiety lately after dealing with the loss of my best friend. And also, with some self-esteem issues regarding my looks. My mental health is at an all-time low and I need some encouragement.

What do you love most about this girl? I've been told that I can light up a room with my personality and my smile. Everyone loves my curly hair.

P.S.: Love on her. You would love her if you knew her!

Write your letter and get it in the mail within one week to The Letter Project at P.O. Box 218, Kingsville, MO 64061. We’ll take it from there! You can place multiple letters in one envelope, as long as each letter/card clearly identifies the letter recipient.

Tracie's Writing Team - April 23 Drop

Write to Tracie.

Age: 50-something
Requested by: Friend
Location: Utah, USA
Issue: Self-confidence

What’s going on? Tracie is wonderful. She works hard and like most amazing women, she is under appreciated. She is constantly taking in family members and thinking of others before herself.

What do you love most about this girl? She is fun! She is energetic, she keeps up with us teenagers. She is happy and finds the bright side.

P.S.: She is a believer in God and loves country music! she also loves to travel and is super crafty.

Write your letter and get it in the mail within one week to The Letter Project at P.O. Box 218, Kingsville, MO 64061. We’ll take it from there! You can place multiple letters in one envelope, as long as each letter/card clearly identifies the letter recipient.

Laura's Writing Team - April 23 Drop

Write to Laura.

Age: 40-something
Requested by: Friend
Location: Arizona, USA
Issue: Mental Health

What’s going on? She's had a rough go the past few years -- her dad died unexpectedly during the pandemic, she's in a legal battle over his estate (yes, still!), she has been suffering from depression ever since. It's a lot to get through on a good day, on top of the fact her living situation isn't ideal.

What do you love most about this girl? She has a heart of gold and will help anyone out if she can. She's fiercely loyal to her friends, sometimes even long after those friends have shown they aren't worth the loyalty. She takes care of the neighborhood cats--a project that brings her joy and pain in equal measure (she loves the cats, but being feral, things happen to them and it absolutely breaks her heart every time because she tries so hard to keep it from happening).

P.S.: Battling depression, she often gets the line, "just don't be depressed," which, if you have struggled with it before, that is simply the worst advice you can get. Or people say that she's bringing them down so they distance themselves from her, which, again, is horrible to say to someone in a depression. I try my best to keep her spirits up but I'm just one person. So I'm asking for a little help.

Write your letter and get it in the mail within one week to The Letter Project at P.O. Box 218, Kingsville, MO 64061. We’ll take it from there! You can place multiple letters in one envelope, as long as each letter/card clearly identifies the letter recipient.

Joy's Writing Team - April 23 Drop

Write to Joy.

Age: 60s + 70s
Requested by: Grandmother
Location: Missouri, USA
Issue: Breast Cancer

What’s going on? My grandmother, Joy, was diagnosed with breast cancer several years ago--in addition to several other illnesses including an autoimmune disease. After many rounds of chemo, the cancer was successfully eliminated--temporarily. The breast cancer returned last year, and as a result she had to undergo a total mastectomy. As a consequence of the surgery, her lymph nodes started swelling and she has been attempting treatment for them for a few months now. Since then, she has not been the same--she has lost confidence in herself and her body, and has adopted a fairly negative perspective. She is a shell of the woman I knew growing up.

What do you love most about this girl? My grandma and I have had our fair share of disagreements over the years, but that never changed how much I love her. Growing up, she was the one who cared for me while my parents were at work full-time. She is very talkative and loves cracking jokes with people. She has triumphed over so many diseases and illnesses in her life, and up until now she never let those challenges dampen her mood. Above all other qualities, my grandma is a person who cares so deeply for others--even those who she has never met before. She will happily put aside her own needs if it means she can better care for others. She's done more than enough for my mom, myself, and my grandpa when each of us were dealing with our own hardships. Unfortunately, she has lost many of her friends to illness and cannot drive very well on her own anymore. Thus, she has been extremely lonely these last couple of years, aside from her beloved cats and her busy family members (when we can make the time to see her).

Write your letter and get it in the mail within one week to The Letter Project at P.O. Box 218, Kingsville, MO 64061. We’ll take it from there! You can place multiple letters in one envelope, as long as each letter/card clearly identifies the letter recipient.

Lashay's Writing Team - April 23 Drop

Write to Lashay.

Age: 50-something
Requested by: Self
Location: Virginia, USA
Issue: Mental Health

What’s going on? I lost my brother, uncle, and aunt the last weekend of January on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The following Tuesday my husband of 10 years tell me he is going through depression and feels he should not be married anymore and wants a divorce. I haven't been able to deal with the deaths of my family, but I am also having to deal with the death of my marriage in a state I have no family in. My mental health is declining

What do you love most about this girl? One of my best qualities is that I try to stay positive. I try to smile but its been to hard lately. I am having dark thoughts and I am struggling to deal with them.

P.S.: I could really use some positivity and encouragement.

Write your letter and get it in the mail within one week to The Letter Project at P.O. Box 218, Kingsville, MO 64061. We’ll take it from there! You can place multiple letters in one envelope, as long as each letter/card clearly identifies the letter recipient.

Shannon's Writing Team - April 23 Drop

Write to Shannon.

Age: 30-something
Requested by: Friend
Location: New York, USA
Issue: Mental Health

What’s going on? Within the past year, Shannon has lost two dogs and several guinea pigs. She is a very hard worker, but is stuck living with her emotionally immature mother and step father, who give her a lot of grief. Shannon loves animals, and her pets are her emotional support in her unhealthy home environment. Losing so many in such a short time was a huge blow for her. In general, my girl struggles with emotional wellness and faith, because her parents forced Jesus on her in an unhealthy way when she was a kid.

What do you love most about this girl?She is always there for her friends, even when she herself is struggling. Even when her dog Decklin was dying, Shannon smothered me with support whenever I was down. She gives out hugs like candy. Also, she never gives up on her dream of living a contented, healthy life despite all she's been through and the parents she can't get away from.

P.S.: She really needs to feel God's support in this. Please fill her letters with uplifting verses and ways that God has walked with you in your own personal struggles. However, the phrase "Leave it up to God" bothers her because her mother says it to dismiss her feelings. Please show my girl that you empathize with her grief and doubt and understand that she can't just get rid of them. Lastly, she loves the idea of her dogs having fun in Heaven, so descriptions and/or drawings of a fun, goofy dog Heaven would make her smile. (Ex: "I can just see your dog running through an endless field of kiddy pools, eating endless amounts of hotdogs.")

Write your letter and get it in the mail within one week to The Letter Project at P.O. Box 218, Kingsville, MO 64061. We’ll take it from there! You can place multiple letters in one envelope, as long as each letter/card clearly identifies the letter recipient.