DONOR IMPACT

Letters offer emotional relief and a sense of connection that can literally change a life. Many recipients credit these letters with helping them find hope, stability, and the will to keep going.

• 1 in 5 recipients reported being in serious emotional distress at the time they received their letters.
• 10% credited letters with directly interrupting suicidal thoughts.
• Statements like “I was seriously considering ending my life, but the support I received reminded me I matter” show the life-saving impact of every bundle of letters.
• Each bundle of 22 letters can serve as an early intervention—a direct mental health support tool that helps someone in crisis choose connection over isolation.

Each message of encouragement becomes more than words—it’s a quiet intervention that reminds someone in despair that their life still matters.

Letters rebuild the human connection often lost after service, reminding recipients that they still belong to a community that cares. Each note reinforces visibility, recognition, and shared humanity.

• 48% of testimonials describe the letters as restoring a sense of connection or visibility.
• “It’s not just a piece of paper. It’s proof that we’re not invisible.”
• Recipients use letters as ongoing emotional anchors—taping them to walls, rereading them daily, and sharing them across units.
• Letters provide immediate emotional reinforcement, one of the key protective factors against suicide recognized by the Department of Defense.

Through these letters, isolation fades and belonging returns—a simple message becomes proof that no one is forgotten.

• 33% of service members and veterans said the letters helped them reconnect with purpose or meaning in their service.
• “The words in these letters reminded me why I serve.”
• This moral repair helps bridge the psychological gap between service and self-worth—a vital factor in suicide prevention and post-service recovery.

Letters provide a healthy outlet for emotion, helping service members and veterans process stress, find calm, and regain a sense of control during difficult moments.

• 22% showed physical or emotional release through tears, smiles, or reflection after reading letters.
• Letters function as grounding tools during distress: “I keep them in my footlocker—I pull one out every time I feel like I’m falling apart.”

Each letter offers steady reassurance—reminding each reader to pause, breathe, and hold on when life feels overwhelming.