Get Started
We’re so glad you’ve decided to join our mission to bring messages of hope and connection to women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Getting started is easy. To make it even easier, we’ve put together some guidelines, tips, and examples you can draw on for inspiration.
Letter Writing Guidelines
We read every letter to be sure they meet the following guidelines.
1. Hand-Write Your Letters
Your letter must be hand-written. If unable, please include on each letter a short explanation. (Ex: “This letter is typed because I have difficulty holding a pen.)
2. Three Sentence Minimum
We ask for at least three sentences of hand-written text on each letter. You can include up to five letters with the exact same message. Remember, you’re sending a hand-made gift.
3. Quality over Quantity
Because every letter is a gift, please take your time and write something the recipient will treasure. GLM wants every recipient to feel special. But please do not copy letters from our samples or the Dear Friend gift book.
4. Greeting and Signature
Include a greeting like “Dear Friend” or “Dear Sister.” Your salutation can include just your first name. For children, we love when you also include the age or grade level.
5. Stationery and Envelope
Use any note card, stationery, or standard paper of your choosing that fits or folds into our special GLM envelope (4.75” x 6.5” announcement size). Because we use our own envelopes, you can keep the envelopes that come with your stationery.
6. Please Avoid
GLM letters are distributed regardless of race, religion, age, type of treatment, or cancer stage. For this reason, we ask you to avoid the following content:
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Offensive Language: Along with the really bad words (you know the ones), also banned are hell, cancer sucks, kick cancer's butt, dirty or off-color jokes, and quotes with banned material.
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Religion: Refrain from religious references and other non-inclusive wording such as: quoting scriptures, telling how/who to worship, or other religious overtures. This also applies to pre-printed cards. We allow “I’m praying for you” once in your letter.
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Death: It’s difficult for someone newly diagnosed to hear that others have died from cancer or other diseases. Mention your loved one without sharing the outcome. For example, “My grandmother fought breast cancer, and she liked to wear different wigs daily.”
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Dates & Holiday References: Do not date your letters. This includes reference to holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Halloween, or Christmas. Letters take 6-8 weeks to reach the recipient.
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Politics: GLM does not distribute political material.
7. Mail Letters to:
You can mail your letters in one large envelope to:
Girls Love Mail
193 Blue Ravine Rd., Suite 120
Folsom, CA 95630
Need a little more help? Read a few sample letters
Join Us
Be part of the Girls Love Mail (GLM) community and the Miles of Mail campaign to collect 20,000 letters this year. Together we can make a difference!
At first, letter writing might seem a little daunting. But fear not. You can do it! Here’s a few tips we’ve learned after years of writing and reading letters:
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Write From the Heart. No matter how clumsy the words or the neatness of your penmanship, if it comes from the heart you can’t miss.
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Think about someone you care about as you write the letter. You can also share your personal experiences and then relate the idea to the recipient. "I'm sharing this story to help you ...." or "I hope this story makes you smile today."
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Start with your favorite inspirational quote or joke. This is a great way to get something on paper right away and then you can elaborate. Tell why you’re sharing the quote/joke and what it means to you. "This quote reminds me that you are a warrior."
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Tell the truth. It’s okay to say you don’t know what they are going through or that you haven't had cancer. Just let the recipient know that you're thinking of them and wishing them well.
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Get Inspired. Look around your world and see what inspires you. Maybe you have a beautiful garden, a beloved pet, or enjoy the beach. Take a notepad and jot down what warms your spirit so you can share them in your letters.
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Write in groups. Gather up your book club, school class, Girl Scout troop, fraternity (men can write too), bunco circle, corporate philanthropy committee – you name it – and have a GLM Letter Writing Party!
Writing together is helpful, inspiring, and fun, so we put together several downloadable Group Kits to make it easy. Each kit contains everything you need to get your group laughing, crying, writing and having a great party. And the kits are tailored to women’s groups, Girl Scout Troops, and school projects for all ages.
FAQs
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Can I get school Service Hours for writing letters?No. Girls Love Mail does not offer school service hours for writing letters.
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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.
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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.
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Can I write in another language?Yes! We especially need letters in Spanish!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Is there free stationery I can use?Yes! You can download our free custom Girls Love Mail stationery here.
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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.
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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.
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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 we can only do that if we have your email address and know who the letter is from.
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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.)