FAQ's
FAQ's
GETTING STARTED
How do I join your efforts?
To get started, on the homepage of our website (lettersagainstisolation.com), you will see a large gold/yellow box; please tell us a little about yourself and we will respond with a welcome email. You will receive the link to our sign-up web app. You will use the web app to indicate how many letters you are able to write and to which facility(ies) you will be sending them to.
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Please remember to check your junk folders and, for Gmail users, the Promotions tab, as sometimes LAI emails end up there, especially for new volunteers whose mail system might not recognize our address.
PORTAL
How do I use the sign up portal?
Please check out this blogpost for portal FAQ's.
LETTERS
How many letters should I write?
We have no minimum or maximum requirements here at LAI - write as many or as few letters as you wish - and encourage your family members, friends and co-workers to join you! You are under no obligation to write every week, as we want this to be a fun and relaxing volunteer opportunity...it shouldn’t feel like homework!
Should I decorate my letters?
Absolutely! Feel free to add drawings, washi tape, photographs or use colorful stickers which will catch the eye of each senior recipient.
What’s the senior’s name?
Due to HIPAA privacy laws, we have no personal information about the seniors to whom we are writing; all our letters and cards are distributed randomly by the staff at each facility and we don't expect to hear back from the seniors. It’s best to start your letters with a generic greeting such as “Dear Friend” or “Hello from [your location].”
Can I type my letters?
Many of our writers have shared personal experiences with hand pain or arthritis; others have confessed to having "awful handwriting." While hand-written letters are preferable, we don't want to discourage any of our wonderful volunteers from participating! So, yes, it's okay to send typewritten letters and we ask just two things: please use a large font that will be easy for the seniors to read and please close your letters with a few hand-written words and sign (don't type) your first name if it is at all possible for you to do so.
Can I send my correspondence via email?
Our volunteers send actual handwritten letters and cards to the seniors. We feel it's important for each senior to have a physical letter which they may re-read or display in their room as a reminder that someone is sending them kind thoughts.
Many facilities do not have access to computers or the Internet. Those which do have been unable to allow their residents to share a facility computer due to infection precautions during the pandemic. Finally, this is a generation used to written communications, they are generally not familiar with electronic communications such as emails or text messages.
What do I write to a complete stranger?
Please check out this blog post and this blog post for some great ideas about how to get started. Please remember to sign your first name or a nickname, so that your correspondence feels personal to the senior recipient.
Is there anything I shouldn’t write about?
Please do not share your phone number or email address and please do not discuss politics or religion, as you don’t know about the specific beliefs of each senior. As an inclusive organization, we’re provided some holiday guidelines here.
Where can I share pictures of my letters?
Please upload them to our Google Form here.
I know an elderly person who'd appreciate handwritten letters. Can LAI write to them?
Our organization only sends cards and letters to seniors who reside in long-term care facilities. For reasons of privacy, we can not share individual seniors' addresses. Here are some resources to pursue (1, 2, and 3) - these look to be organizations with a focus on individual seniors and would likely be relevant for the kind of support you are seeking.
Will the seniors write back to me?
Please understand that many seniors may not have the physical ability to respond due to arthritis or visual limitations. Additionally, the senior may not have easy access to writing supplies or stamps. While you may occasionally be pleasantly surprised to receive correspondence from one of our seniors, our volunteers write with no expectation of receiving letters in return.
ENVELOPES
Where do I send my letters?
You will mail your letters directly to the facility(ies) of your choice; addresses are all on our sign-up portal. All of our correspondence is distributed randomly to the seniors by the staff at each facility.
What about using a return address?
We’ve updated our return address policy due to issues with proper delivery of mail. Please place your return address on all correspondence and write “Letters Against Isolation” across the back flap of your envelope. Please note: if you are not comfortable using your personal address, simply copy the address of the facility into the upper left corner of your envelope...that way your mail is certain to reach its destination!
Can I mail multiple letters together to one location?
Yes! As a rule, if you are sending multiple letters to one facility, you will save on postage costs by bundling your letters together and mailing them in one large envelope, rather than placing an individual postage stamp on each letter. Please write “Letters Against Isolation” across the back flap of the outer envelope and indicate how many letters are enclosed, as this will make things easier for the staff who sort and distribute our mail.
If I’m mailing multiple letters in one large envelope, does each letter need to be in an individual envelope?
There are two schools of thought on this one...on the one hand, it will cost less to mail and be more environmentally-friendly if you do not place each letter in an envelope. On the other hand, placing each letter in an envelope allows you to decorate the envelope and may heighten the anticipation and fun for the seniors. It’s really a matter of personal choice!
If I’m mailing multiple letters together to one location in a large outer envelope, should I seal each of the individual envelopes?
Many volunteers do not seal their individual letters; since we don't know anything about the recipients, sometimes it's good for the staff to take a peek at our notes to better match them with a senior...for example, is the design better suited for a man or a woman...is the handwriting OK if someone has visual problems...would a shorter note be better for someone who might be confused? You may seal each individual envelope with a colorful sticker which is easy to manipulate and the senior will still enjoy “opening” a personal letter.
What if mail is returned to me by the post office?
Please contact paula.brmn.lai@gmail.com as we have a volunteer who will research the facility in question. We understand that this is quite disappointing and hope that you will be able to “recycle” your correspondence to seniors at a different location.
What are your tips for best mailing practices?
Yes! Please check out this blogpost written by a volunteer, Marsha, for tips for best mailing practices.
STAMP FUND
Stamp Fund:
One of the ways that Letters Against Isolation uses the money that it raises is for the Stamp Fund. The purpose of this initiative is to ensure that all volunteers can write to the seniors we serve, regardless of their ability to purchase stamps! Currently, this program serves students and senior volunteers in the US and Canada.
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If you are based in the US, please complete this sign up form, and if you are in Canada, please complete this sign up form to request stamps. Your first request can be for up to ten stamps, and you may make subsequent requests for larger quantities of stamps based on your previous work. After receiving the stamps, we ask that you verify that you have used the stamps by emailing photos of your addressed and stamped envelopes to Anne at lai.stamp.fund@gmail.com if you are based in the US, or Pat at lai.canada.stamp.fund@gmail.com if you are based in Canada. We request that you send us confirmation that your letters have been sent out within a month of your stamps' receipt. If for any reason you are unable to use the stamps that you requested, we ask that you mail them back to Letters Against Isolation so that they can be re-allocated to other volunteers.
Student Stamp Fund:
Our sign up form has a few questions to verify that the individual requesting stamps is a student. One of these questions requires that the student uploads a photo of their student ID.
Senior Stamp Fund:
The Senior Stamp Fund is open to all volunteers aged 65 and over who are based in the US and Canada. We ask that volunteers respect the honor system and only request stamps from the Senior Stamp Fund if they are 65 or older.
FOR STUDENTS
Here are our community service guidelines:
LAI would be happy to sign off on your volunteer hours; we ask volunteers to write 4 letters per community service hour. Once you are finished with your letters, please send a photo to lai.volunteer.rep@gmail.com so that a representative may verify your work. We can provide a note on a LAI letterhead or complete any necessary forms which your school requires. Documents can be returned to you in PDF format via email or via postal mail, whichever you prefer.
FOR GROUPS
Here are our group events guidelines:
Check out the Group Events page on our website here for our detailed instructions.
SENDING GIFTS
Here are our gift guidelines:
When Shreya and Saffron set up LAI they specified that our mission was to write letters/cards only and asked that we not send gifts. There are a few reasons for this: we don't know if the recipient of our letter will be male or female, what their cognitive level might be and most importantly, we don't want other residents at a facility to feel left out. Some facilities are very large (over 200 residents) so we cannot possibly include a gift for everyone. Some of our volunteers can barely afford postage stamps and we certainly do not want to put more pressure on them with the expectation to include gifts.
That said, your generosity and thoughtfulness are to be admired! Some volunteers include a word search puzzle or adult coloring sheet with their letters. Please consider using the money which you would spend on small gifts to purchase more stamps and write a few extra letters.
DONATIONS
Here are our donations guidelines:
We gratefully accept donations, large or small, from both individuals as well as corporations. Please let us know if your employer offers grants to small non-profits or has a matching gift program for their employees!
Here is the link to our donation page.
MERCHANDISE
How to purchase merchandise:
Don’t wait for the holidays, purchase LAI swag for yourself or others anytime!
Here is the link to our merchandise page.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow us online!
CONTACT US
How to get in touch:
Still have questions? Reach out to: lai.volunteer.rep@gmail.com for a prompt and personal response!
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