ETA staff will review the form and match you with an older writer who wants to share a friendly note with someone from a younger generation. We have older writers of all ages 60+ but most are 70-90. Most of our writers are from the U.S. but a few are international.

Sign up using our online form . We’ll ask your name, age, and email address.

Our Sharing Smiles team screens each note before forwarding it to ensure the safety and privacy of both writers. We screen for content including: sensitive medical or financial information; exploitative or manipulative requests; sexual content; threats to self or others; and racist, sexist, or other offensive statements. We will not forward such content, and we reserve the right to terminate from the program any participant who sends inappropriate content.

Yes. The ONLY information each partner has is the other partner’s first name. They write to you via ETA’s dedicated Sharing Smiles email address. Our staff screens their notes and then forwards them on to you. You reply to the same Sharing Smiles email address, and we forward your replies to your partner, so you both remain anonymous to each other.

Your partner will write to you first! They will share a little about their own lives and ask you questions. We will help them with ideas and prompts. Remember: This is a chance to make a friendly connection with young people who want to reach out while so many people are feeling isolated. Many young people today are not used to writing letters. Please be patient and understanding with them. We encourage young writers to ask polite questions so they can learn about you. Please answer, as far as you feel comfortable, and ask them questions back. It can be fun to find out what you have in common and also how different you may be.

ETA staff will review the form and match you with a younger writer who wants to share a friendly note with someone from an older generation. We have younger writers of all ages, but most are children and young adults, age 8-30. Most of our writers are from the U.S. but a few are international.

Sign up using our online form . We’ll ask your name, age, and address (email or mailing address, depending on which you want to use).

FAQs Archive - Page 2 of 2 - Empowering the Ages

Q: How old should I be? Can I sign up my child?

We work with younger writers of all ages, including as young as 4, but most are children and young adults from age 8-30. If you are under age 18, please ask a parent or guardian to complete the online form to sign you up.

Q: What if I don’t have email?

If you don’t use email, or you are signing up on behalf of someone who doesn’t use email, you can have ETA staff send your notes to you by postal mail. Your note-writing partner will not receive your mailing address or your email address, regardless of which you choose to use in the program.