January 9, 2024

Welcome to the Pen Pal Program, an opportunity to “converse” with someone new over the next months.  To get started, we list some ideas below.  We believe that letters are like small gifts to their reader, so we think you will enjoy both sending and receiving them.   

Materials:

• Paper, pen, and envelope are provided by Letters Trellis.  You are also welcome to use your own materials.

• Letters will be delivered in bulk to the senior center or school, so only the recipient’s name on the envelope is needed before sealing it. 

• If you intend to include an enclosure (article, poem, photo, etc.), put it in the envelope before you write your letter, so that you don’t forget to include it.

Topping:

• Write the location where you are writing (Town name, physical place or description like school, library, at a picnic table, watching the sunset, etc.).

• Date the letter with month, date and year.

• If you have not received the name of your match, begin the letter with “Dear Pen Pal”.  Otherwise use the name as written on the materials that you receive.  

Your Message:

• Alternate between your introduction and your questions about your pen pal.

• Present your best self and be upbeat, like starting a conversation with a new friend. 

• Write things that are unique to you and your experience.  Give your pen pal a sense of what is really part of your life.  

Topic Ideas: 

• Age and birthday

• Where you live and what it’s like  

• Family, siblings, and/or pets

• Career or past studies

• Favorite way to use free time 

• Favorite music artists, movies, shows

• Favorite sports or recreational activities

• Foods, crafts, or hobbies

• Places you have been or hope to visit

• Contrast of students’ lives now vs. 60 or 70 years ago

• Questions about them you’d like to know 

Closing and Recording:

• In addition to the more standard closings of “Sincerely”, “Your friend”, “Yours truly”, or “Cheers”, you can preface your signature with something that relates to a subject in your letter, or simply “Here’s to my new pen-pal!

• Some letter writers keep a journal of their letters with the name, date and subject content of what you wrote.  This helps when writing back, so you don’t repeat the same information.  

Responding to a Letter:

• After receiving your first letter, reflect back on what was said, answer any questions and follow up with your own questions.  Make it a dialog that is unique between the two of you, based on what you learn about each other.

Important Dates in 2024:

Meeting Dates at the Senior Center (all at 10:30 a.m.):

• January 9

• February 13

• March 12

• April 9

• May 14

Letters from Seniors are due one week after the meeting date, to be placed in the Jenks Pen Pal Mail Box.

Response letters from the students will be in the Jenks mailbox by the Friday before the meetings for anyone who wishes to retrieve theirs in advance.  

Student letters to Seniors are due at the McCall office:

• January 30

• March 5

• April 2

• April 30

• June 4

An opportunity to meet your pen-pal in person will be scheduled based on the student calendar availability during the month of June. 

This program is made possible by volunteers at McCall Middle School, the Jenks Center, and Letters Trellis in Winchester Massachusetts.