The Letterbox Project - This lockdown sucks. Millions across the state are feeling it. We're cooped in our homes and asked not to leave unless for essential reasons. It's the feeling of the unknown, the loneliness, the disconnectedness, the anxiety. We're all doing it tough. It's overwhelming. I get it.
In this day and age we can connect quicker and easier thanks to instant messaging and smartphones. We can video chat on many different platforms to see friends and family. It may be different and doesn't feel the same as having a meal or a beer together but it's temporary and it's the best we can do for now.
However, there are those who are really feeling the pangs of isolation and struggling with our current realities. That's where Connected AU was borne.
Connected AU was an idea sparked by its founder, Mea, who is based in Dubbo. Mea started this project after seeing the statistics of loneliness in Australians. According to the Connected AU website, “There are 250,000 people in residential aged care in Australia and up to 40% do not get visits. 1 in 8 adults with a disability get less than 30 minutes of daily interaction with another person. 2.5 million Australians are not connected to the internet. There are more than 6,000 young people with disabilities in permanent residential aged care.”
Connected AU looks to help combat loneliness in Australia by developing programs designed to provide connection, community and companionship. There are 2 programs. One being hobby groups where you sign up to join a book club, coffee club, cooking club or a gardening club. The other is the Letterbox Project.
The Letterbox Project involves sending letters to those who are feeling isolated and lonely. The team have facilitated this project in a way to protect the privacy of both sender and receiver. You sign up on their page to be either a writer or a receiver and you'll get put on a waitlist. The team at Connected AU will then look to match you with someone.
I signed up back in early July after seeing a post by former jewellery designer, Samantha Wills, promoting the project. It took about 4 weeks until I got an email to say that I was matched! To put into perspective, their Instagram page mentions that they receive over 500 letters a week in which they check over to make sure content is safe before sending them off to their recipient. Neither of you have the address of each other.
For me, I have always loved letter writing. I believe it's a lost artform now and I was so excited to join this initiative. As soon as I got matched I went out to buy envelopes and stamps then started writing. You're given a short profile of your recipient so you have a bit of an idea what to write. I found it hard figuring out what to say to someone I know very little about but as soon as I started I ended up filling 7 pages worth of chat. I made my recipient a little card and sent it off.
The team at Connected AU told me that they had received my letter and forwarded it onto my recipient. They said they give them 6 weeks to reply and if they don't receive anything back then they will offer to put me back into the subscriber list.
Today, after a month since I sent my letter, I received my reply! My gosh that was a little bit exciting. Going to the mailbox to check for forgotten orders I had made during lockdown and finding a letter from the Letterbox Project. I forgot how it felt to receive something other than bills. I wasn't sure if I would hear back from my recipient but it felt really nice that they did. It honestly has been one of the highlights of my time in lockdown. The feeling of giving and getting something unexpected in return.
If you want to be a part of the Letterbox Project simply visit www.connectedau.com.au and follow the links to The Letterbox Project. Who knows what interesting stories and conversations you could have!