Launched Spring 2025
The Pen Pal Project was inspired by a florist’s advertisement and a quote (statistic).
One day, while scrolling through Facebook, Brett’s mom came across a florist advertising for subscribers to their flower-of-the-month letter campaign. Kate found herself thinking about the many people who feel isolated and alone. An introduction to a book came to mind – “We are in the midst of an epidemic of loneliness. Though modern technology purports to ‘connect’ us like never before, we live increasingly isolated and insulated lives, painfully disconnected from each other, from our values, and from ourselves. Indeed, almost 70% of Americans report they don’t have a single person to confide in. – Kristine Klussman, PhD (Connection: How to Find the Life You’re Looking for in the Life You Have) It’s a quote that had bothered her since she first read it. To her, it seemed to say that almost 70% of Americans felt they had no one to turn to in a moment of crisis.
From there, the Pen Pal Project took on a life of its own as Kate realized the value of a simple letter sent every month in a person’s life. There is something special about receiving a physical letter you can touch, feel, and read. Something much more personal than receiving an email. Something that is becoming a lost art.
Our concept isn’t complex, but we hope it will have a meaningful impact.
What Do Our Pen Pals Receive?
- Each year, our Pen Pals receive at least one letter a month, a birthday card, and a “Welcome the New Year” card. These letters are filled with personal stories, recipes, photos, quotes, poems, and everyday topics. They’re not just letters, they’re a warm embrace from our community.Our letters can include a variety of things—stories, recipes, photos, quotes, poems, and everyday topics. Almost anything that lifts, inspires, and helps build connection.
- At this moment, Brett’s mom, Kate, writes the letters. Over time, other family members and friends may occasionally chime in. And maybe, even some of our pen pals.
Who Can Become a Pen Pal?
- All pen pals are added by request. If you know someone who would enjoy having a pen pal —whether they are lonely, grieving, sick, need a pick-me-up, or would enjoy receiving our letters —please contact us. We will forward an invitation form to fill out.
- We add Pen Pals on a first-come, first-served basis. Because we never want to drop a person for financial reasons, we add people as our budget allows. If you recommend someone to become a pen pal, please be patient. They will be added to the project.
- We do not charge the giver or the recipient for our letters. Donations pay for everything.
In The Pen Pal Project, we uphold the highest standards of respect and privacy. We will never solicit anyone, use a Pen Pal address for anything other than project-specific purposes, or sell a Pen Pal’s address to a third party. We treat our Pen Pals with the utmost respect and care.
What Do Pen Pals Have to Do?
- Nothing, unless they want to. We warmly welcome letters from our community, but we don’t expect our Pen Pals to reciprocate unless they choose to.
- We also promise to respond to any correspondence we receive from a participant.
How Can You Help?
- If you would like to contribute to our project, please consider donating. For more information, please click here to contact us.
- You can sign up for our newsletter, which will become available this Fall. We will keep you updated on this project and other projects we are working on, plus more! Click here to join.
Our Mission and Brett
Our goal is to tie each of our projects to Brett and our mission. For The Pen Pal Project, the mission is straightforward: to help people feel connected to us and, ultimately, to each other.
The tie to Brett is personal to Kate.
From Kate:
It took me a while to figure out why this project is so important to me. In fact, the reason came to me one morning as I awoke.
When Brett was small, he had significant speech delays. For some years, I served as his voice – often acting as interpreter when someone spoke to him and then couldn’t understand his response. Then, as an ongoing challenge that he never overcame, Brett struggled to collect his thoughts and put them into writing. And so, with his school’s permission, I served as his scribe, literally acting as his hands so he could express himself in writing. I got the privilege of sharing his thoughts and words with his teachers.
Once I thought of the Pen Pal concept, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I feel compelled to create this community. But I kept thinking that Brett didn’t write letters. He didn’t like writing at all. And he hated having to write about himself. So, why the strong connection? It’s twofold. That morning, as I awoke, I was hit with the realization that, while I no longer get to share his thoughts and words with the world, I can, in his honor, share stories about him, our family, and myself. It gives my love for Brett an ongoing purpose and a concrete way to keep his memory alive. The second connection: Brett cared about people, especially people who were hurting or marginalized. And Brett loved his family. We’ve discovered that the letters resonate with people and help family members navigate our loss. We believe Brett would see value in this program as a way to foster community and appreciate that it involves family and friends both as writers and recipients, especially since this effort is helping us heal and find our new normal.