When she first began hosting these events, Renee said it surprised her how many people shared that they didn't have anyone to write to. Helping people find recipients is one of the ways that LWS can be helpful. While they don't connect pen pals, they do offer a page of resources to help attendees send letters and address concerns such as how to address an envelope, the cost to mail a letter, and where/how to find people to whom to write. In 2019 the ACS became registered as a nonprofit. This allows the society easier admittance to schools and other organizations that would like to have an interactive educational experience on how to write a letter, how to mail a letter, and other aspects of letters and mail (stamps, delivery, etc.). The school talks and workshops had stopped because of COVID-19, but they are slowly beginning to reemerge in new and virtual ways. Just this fall, Renee has been contacted to help a local first-grade class incorporate mindfulness and letter writing. Renee has also conducted these informational sessions in nursing homes and business organizations explaining that it's a wonderful team-building exercise.
LWS all over the world are having to redefine themselves in the time of COVID-19. Some will find new life in a virtual setting while others will go on hiatus or cease entirely until such time as it is safe to resume social gatherings. In the meantime, the consensus is that more people are turning to letter writing as a way to stay connected in our new collective reality, and that's OK.
Renee Palting offers this Little Free Post (LFP) as a complement to her Little Free Library (LFL) that she has in her yard. Originally, Renee would put letter writing supplies (note cards, pens, envelopes, and writing prompts) in her own LFL and then decided to start her own writing supply station, also known as her LFP, to share and encourage the writing and sending of more letters. Renee, who has been doing this since 2016, says she hopes to remove barriers to writing a letter and maybe spark a lifelong interest in this beneficial hobby.
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