Brynn Carnesecca | Lehi Free Press
Franklin was a middle-aged man living in Pennsylvania. He had young children and loved to shop, read, and share his beliefs. Franklin had one of the biggest hearts I had ever seen. My unique connection with Franklin would never have happened naturally. He was not a family friend or someone from my neighborhood. Franklin was an inmate who spent several years in a Pennsylvania correctional facility. At first it seemed like we had nothing in common, but through months of correspondence, Franklin and I developed an unlikely friendship. With my new program, Envelopes of Hope, you can too.
My senior year of high school was full of activities, clubs, and other things I needed for college prep. At the height of the chaos, I decided to join a pen pal project where volunteers write to inmates across the United States. Every day, I checked my email, anxiously waiting for my pen pal’s name. After a few weeks, I learned that my pen pal was Franklin, an inmate at the Pennsylvania Correctional Facility. Nervously, I scribbled a few sentences on lined paper and sent them to the facility under my pseudonym “Bree.”
From the first letter I received from Franklin, I knew we would become fast friends. We wrote each other pages of letters about our friends, stories from our childhood, music, movies, books, and everything. Throughout the letters we wrote, I was surprised at how kind and gentle Franklin was. He shared his favorite Bible verses, quotes from his favorite books, and moments in nature that meant something to him. The friendship we formed made me very grateful that I took the step and tried something new.
Today, I humbly ask you to do the same.
Over the past few months, I have been working with the Utah Department of Corrections to develop a new program specifically designed for Utah’s inmates. The Envelopes of Hope program welcomes anyone 18 years or older to join us and write to an inmate. Through our intake form, volunteers can indicate any special writing preferences, such as a specific gender they would like to write to, whether they would like to use a pseudonym or our PO box for privacy reasons, and other special considerations. Safety is our top priority throughout participation in this program.
Volunteers must complete a 20-minute online training session that includes information on how to send letters, the do’s and don’ts of letter writing, and how to end correspondence. There is no set length of time pen pals must volunteer, and they can write as often as they like, whether that’s twice a week, once a month, or as often as time allows. Participation is free; volunteers only need to provide postage and stationery. Depending on their preference, volunteers will receive the letter at their mailing address or a digital scan emailed to them by our team.
To anyone who has had a bad day, a tough moment, or is going through an otherwise difficult time, please extend your wisdom and compassion to incarcerated people across the state. A quick text or message of encouragement can change the course of someone’s week.
Inmates are completely cut off from the outside world. These letters, which may seem like a small gesture, make a huge difference. To anyone who wants to make a difference in someone’s life, spread hope, get more involved in the community, or brighten someone’s day, join us at Envelopes of Hope. In the coming weeks, this program will be rolled out to all inmates in Utah. With thousands of inmates expected to participate, we need your support and a glimmer of hope for those incarcerated.
For more information, email us at [email protected], follow us on Instagram and Facebook @envelopesofhopeutah, or visit our website at www.envelopesofhopeuta.wixsite.com/hope.
