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Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

What is Girls Love Mail?

Girls Love Mail is a charity that collects hand-written letters of encouragement, bundles them, and sends them, via the caring staff at cancer centers and programs, to women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.

Why Should I “Join”?

Submitting the short Join Us form keeps you connected. You’ll receive exciting Girls Love Mail news and get to read responses from letter recipients. Letters are coming from across the country and we want you to be part of our GLM community.

Can Girls Love Mail send my friend a letter if I provide the address?

Unfortunately not. Due to cost and medical confidentiality, Girls Love Mail does not solicit patient information. Caring staff at participating cancer centers and support programs deliver Girls Love Mail letters to the women they serve. If you know of a center that might like to participate, please contact us.

Letter Content

Do I need to hand-write my letter?

Yes. Remember, you’re doing more than writing a letter, you’re sending a hand-made gift. We ask for at least 3 sentences of hand-written textJust your favorite quote or “You Got This” is NOT enough.

If you’re unable to hand-write, please include text why the letter is typed in EVERY letter. (Ex: This letter is typed because I have arthritis.) Our GLM envelope reads “the enclosed hand-written letter ” so we need your explanation.

How do I begin/end my letter?

The best way to start your letter is with “Dear Friend” or “Dear Sister.” We encourage you to sign your first name and last initial (Gina M.). For safety, children should NOT include their last name.

What should I write about? Can I copy a sample letter or one from the Dear Friend book?

First, please do NOT copy any letters. The samples are for reference and letters in the book are copyrighted. We encourage you to share your experiences and tell the reader you are thinking of them. Some people share inspirational quotes, things that make them laugh, words of sympathy, or simply what’s going on in their own lives that day. Often it’s not what you said that mattered so much as that you cared enough to say it. For more information, go to our Guidelines page.

Should I date my letter?

Please do NOT date your letters or reference any holidays. It may be 6-8 weeks before your letter is handed to a recipient. Avoiding dates and holiday references ensures your letter will still be “fresh” when it arrives.

Is it okay to mention prayer or religion?

The goal is to help every recipient regardless of race, religion, age, type of treatment, or cancer stage. For this reason, we are unable to hand out letters that contain religious references and other wording that would not be universally welcome.

Should I mention someone who has passed away?

This one is a little tricky. We want you to share your personal experiences, but it’s hard for someone newly diagnosed to hear about others who have died from cancer or other diseases. You can certainly mention your loved ones without necessarily sharing the outcome. For example, “My grandmother fought breast cancer and she liked to wear a different wig every day.”

Can I write a letter even if I’ve never had cancer?

Yes. Anyone with a story to share or desire to encourage a woman can write a letter. You don’t have to be a breast cancer survivor to write a letter. We encourage children to include their age or grade level in their letters.

Can I write the same letter many times?

We ask that you write no more than 5 of the exact same letter. This helps us ensure each cancer center will receive a unique letter for each woman they serve. You can definitely use the same sentiment and style, but please limit identical letters.

Can I write in another language?

Yes! We especially need letters in Spanish!

Can I include stickers, crafts, etc?

Unfortunately even small crafts or inserts adds extra postage and makes the envelope hard to close. We ask that you refrain from including extra materials with your letters.

Is a child’s drawing considered a letter?

Drawings from young children are always welcome. To make them even more special please write the child’s first name and age on the drawing. For more ideas on how to have a GLM letter writing party for children of all ages, please go to our Groups Page.

Stationery and Envelopes

Do I need special stationery or envelopes?

Feel free to use any note card, stationery, postcard, or other paper of your choosing that fits or folds into our GLM program envelopes (4.75” x 6.5”) for bundled delivery to each participating center. Because we use our own envelopes you are welcome to keep any envelopes that may have come with your stationery.

Is there free stationery I can use?

Yes! You can download our free custom Girls Love Mail stationery here. Download File

Group Letter Writing

Can my group write letters?

Absolutely! Gather up your book club, school class, Girl Scout troop, fraternity (men can write too), bunco circle – you name it – and have a GLM Letter Writing Party! Writing together is helpful and fun, so we put together several FREE downloadable Party Kits to make it easy. Each kit contains everything you need to get your group laughing, crying, writing and having a great party. The kits are even tailored to women’s groups, Girl Scout Troops, and school projects for all ages. Learn more.

Mailing Your Letter

Can I mail multiple letters in one envelope?

Yes, you can definitely send as many letters in one package as you’d like. We don’t need the original envelopes that may have come with your stationery since we place every letter in a special GLM envelope.

Where do I send my letters? Do you need a return address?

Girls Love Mail
193 Blue Ravine Road, Suite 120
Folsom, California 95630

Please include your full name and return address on the mailing envelope. If we don’t have your email address, you can send it to us using the Join Us form or include your email with your letters. We send thank you emails to let you know we received your letters, and can only do that if we have your email address and know who the letter is from.

Can I Donate to GLM?

Yes! We are a 501(c)3 charity so your donation is tax deductible. Visit our Donation page for more information. (NOTE: We do not need stamp donations. We appreciate the thought but we use a postage meter that gives us a large discount on postage.)