1500 Letters of Hope: Brisbane woman’s touching worldwide mental health project

A Brisbane woman has marked an incredible milestone after she and volunteers sent 1500 handwritten letters all over the world to those struggling with mental health. Here’s how it began.

This month marks the milestone of 1500 handwritten letters she has sent out all across the world for those suffering. Picture: Letters of Hope.

A Brisbane woman has marked an incredible milestone, sending out more than 1500 handwritten letters across the world to help people struggling with their mental health.

Abbie Williams, creator of Letters of Hope, said she was driven to help others after experiencing mental health challenges as a teenager.

“I probably hit my worst in my late teens when I started to experience severe symptoms of anxiety and depression,” Ms Williams said.

“At the time, I didn’t know what was happening to me.

“I didn’t really label it as mental illness, I just felt different to everyone else and like nobody would understand.”

Abbie Williams has sent 1500 handwritten letters to people struggling with mental health across the world. Picture: Letters of Hope.

Ms Williams kept her problems to herself for a long time before seeking help through a university counsellor.

“When that journey started for me, I developed a huge empathy for other people going through mental health concerns,” Ms Williams said.

“I started to notice the signs in other people around me and in the community and I just wanted to be able to help people so much.”

Ms Williams grew up in England and after emigrating to Australia often wrote to her family back home.

“This was pre-Covid, so my elderly grandparents weren’t yet across how to use things like Skype or FaceTime,” she said.

“Our main form of communication was mailing handwritten letters to each other across the miles.”

Abbie Williams sending out letters. Picture: Letters of Hope Instagram

That letter writing experience inspired her to start Letters of Hope.

“From there I started to notice the impact that those handwritten letters would have, particularly after a bad mental health day, and I wanted to be able to give that same feeling to other people,” she said.

“For me, it was a way to express my care and kindness to people and let them know that they are not alone.”

This month marks a milestone — 1500 handwritten letters. Picture: Letters of Hope.

This month marks a huge milestone for Ms Williams and other volunteers at Letters of Hope who have sent out more than 1500 beautifully handcrafted letters across the world.

“It’s an amazing feeling and I can’t quite believe it,” she said.

She said she drew comfort from being able to offer people help when others needed it most.

“I’ve come to realise that it doesn’t matter where you live, what your background is, how old you are, who you are, what you do, everyone is facing their own struggles in life and going through those feelings,” she said.

“One day we will be sending a handwritten letter to a CEO, the next to someone who is going through terminal illness and the next to a teenager struggling with bullying at school.

“There’s so much diversity across the people we connect with, but they are all joined together in a way through this shared experience.

Ms Williams with one of her letters. Picture: Letters of Hope.

“I think suffering with mental illness myself, I recognise that it’s a very human thing.

“I really wish I could go back in time and have a chat to the younger Abbie to let her know that everything was going to be OK.

“To go from sobbing in my teenage bedroom due to struggling with distressing thoughts, to using that lived experience to support other people, is the most rewarding feeling.

Abbie Williams writing another letters to those in need of support. Picture: Letters of Hope Instagram

“It’s hard to explain what Letters of Hope means to me and to put it into words, but what started as a project has now become a registered charity and it feels like my life and purpose centres around this cause now.

“When I send handwritten letters and I speak candidly about my mental health, it doesn’t just help the community, it helps me.

“It’s given me a purpose in life and a sense of fulfilment that I’m not sure I would be able to find anywhere else.

“Letters of Hope has changed the way I see the world.

“The amount of people who have reached out and donated stationery, offered help and supported this cause has shown me much kindness is out there in the world. It’s really quite beautiful.”

Ms Williams often leaves letters in public for strangers to pick up to brighten their day. Picture: Letters of Hope Instagram

Ms Williams encouraged anyone going through tough times to reach out for support or request a letter from Letters of Hope.

“I just wanted to let anyone who is struggling out there know that although the world can feel like a dark place, there are some really wonderful parts,” she said.

“There are some really kind people who do amazing things and a lot of support out there in the mental health space.

“So please don’t suffer alone and know that it can and will get better.”