No tags yet.
On Wednesday, April 22nd, I kicked off my latest project, to post Survivor Love Letters all over my city. April was Sexual Assault Awareness Month but instead of throwing statistics at you, I decided to try to create real change, not just with raising awareness to the issue itself, but also to raise support for the survivors in our community. So I asked for you to write letters, letters that expressed your love and unconditional support to survivors of sexual assault. I collected your beautiful words of love and support to survivors, I printed them all and then decorated them. Next I laminated all 104 letters and then my friend, Eric and I went around the city of Edmonton and posted them up for all to read.
As we were posting these letters, I was shocked with those who came to look over our shoulders at what we were posting. Surely many expected to read details about a hot upcoming event, or an ad for a booming nightclub, but were met instead with something very very different. What shocked me though was the amount of people that stayed to finish reading the whole letter that was posted, instead of just walking away. Many said thank you to us and said what we were doing was very important.
We posted over half the letters that day.
It didn't take long for the letters to be noticed. Among the first to tweet about it was the Mayor of Edmonton himself, Don Iveson -
And then more people started to take notice -
My heart was overflowing with joy!
A few days later, Eric and I went to post the remaining 21 letters around the city. While we were postering away, a gentleman walking down the street stopped to see what we were doing. Once he noticed the letter, he said "I just saw one of these on the High Level Bridge". I couldn't believe that the letters were actually being noticed by more people than I imagined!
I am so very excited about this project because your letters have the power to change someone's life. Your words of support may be the first that survivor has ever received. It may be the first time they are told it wasn't their fault and it may be the first time they realize there is a community out there that cares about them and what they have experienced. I can't express in words just how grateful I am to every single person that has helped with this project. Whether it was letting me borrow your laminator, writing a letter for me, helping put these up or encouraging me to not give up on this project when I got overwhelmed and frustrated, I couldn't have done it without each and every one of you!
The day after I finished off posting 104 letters, I was blessed to attend a OneRepublic concert. The emotional toll this project had taken on me had worn me out, but I couldn't have thought of a better way to nourish the soul than to attend a concert like this. I got to stand on the floor, row three and have the experience of a lifetime. Music always has a way of entering my soul and filling me back up, and that is just what OneRepublic did. In particular, they have a song titled "I Lived" and it means a great deal to me. As they were playing this particular song, my soul was on fire and then something magical happened. The lead singer, Ryan Tedder, threw his guitar pick and it bounced off my leg and landed right in front of me. What a gift and what a perfect way to end the first wave of my Survivor Love Letter Project!
Today I went and picked up supplies for my next round of letters. No, I'm not done with this project yet! That means I am looking for more submissions! If you want to take part and write a survivor love letter, please send it to me as soon as possible to stephaniechard4@gmail.com. Letters are to be no longer than one page and is to be gender neutral.
I can't wait to post your letter in my city!