Yes, you can absolutely request a letter for yourself. This is such a lovely thing to do and sends an important message of self-love, self-respect and care. 

When you request a letter either for yourself or for someone else you do not have to write a letter back. Letters of Hope are written unconditionally, with love and kindness, and with no expectation of anything in return.

Requesting a letter for someone else is a wonderful thing to do and we certainly encourage people to do this.

Many of our letter requests are from people requesting a letter to be sent to a friend or family member who is going through a difficult time. So the answer to this question is a big YES!

Yes, the person receiving the letter will know that it was requested by you. We put a note in with the letter saying who the letter was requested by. There is a checkbox on our letter request form with more information.

It is a requirement when requesting a letter that you enter your name and email address into the form so we can let the person know who requested the Letter of Hope for them. If no name is shared and the request is for someone else, the letter will not be sent out.

The reason for this is to ensure that everyone who receives a letter feels safe and respected, in line with our values. We want to avoid any discomfort that might come from receiving a letter from an unknown source. By sharing who requested the Letter of Hope, we create a more reassuring and transparent experience for the recipient, helping them feel supported rather than uncertain. Not to mention creating the opportunity for the person to see that you care through such a kind gesture.

This requirement also helps us prevent misuse of our service and maintain the integrity of Letters of Hope for everyone involved.

There are no limits on how often you can request a letter. All letter requests are treated with equal importance and actioned as soon as possible.

When we receive your letter request, we match it with a letter and send it out within 6 weeks for recipients within Australia and within 6-8 weeks for international recipients. Please note that during busy periods and at times where our resourcing is limited, this timeline may vary slightly, but we’re committed to getting letters out as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding and patience!

Your Letter of Hope will be packed with a Letters of Hope contact card, an affirmation fridge magnet (so you can pop your letter up as a reminder if you wish!), a self care and coping strategies sheet, and a list of helpful mental health support services and contacts. If the letter has been requested by someone else, we also include a note that tells the receiver who requested their letter. Every envelope is decorated with fun stickers, and wax sealed by hand with a Letters of Hope stamp.

The aim of a letter of hope is to reassure the recipient that they are not alone, and that they are going to get through this hard time. The letter contains words of encouragement and an acknowledgement that life can be difficult at times and not to give up. We have a wonderful volunteer base who write from their own place of lived experience, so every letter is unique and special.

Requesting a Letter of Hope is quick and easy. Head on over to the Letter of Hope website homepage and you will find a bright orange button labelled ‘Request a Letter’. Just click on this link and follow the instructions.

When requesting a letter of hope either for yourself or for someone else we ask for the following information:

1. Letter recipient name

2. Who the Letter of Hope is for?

3. If the letter is for someone else we ask for the letter requestee’s name

4. We ask you to tick a box from a number of options to indicate the reason for the letter request such as anxiety, depression, grief & loss etc. This is optional.

5. Letter requester’s email address

6. Letter recipient’s postal address

7. Any other additional information that you would like to share with us, including accessibility requirements if applicable

All this information is kept private and secure.

When writing a letter, volunteers are asked to write a generic letter of hope basing it around some key categories such as anxiety, depression, loneliness etc. 

These categories are listed on the volunteer hub on our website and the volunteer can choose which category they would like to focus on.

Each handwritten letter is then read and checked before being matched to a letter request and sent out.

All letters received from our volunteers are sent out after being read and thoroughly checked by Letters of Hope HQ. The person requesting the letter will not get to read the letter before it’s sent out, so that we can preserve that special feeling of opening a handwritten letter.