We’re all Zoomed out, and texts are a dime a dozen. But there’s still something special about snail mail — especially during the pandemic — and a Dedham shopping center is encouraging locals to put pen to postcard to connect with loved ones.
Legacy Place’s new Art Box initiative has the center partnering with local artists on free seasonal postcards, each one raising awareness for a different charity. Currently available at the Art Post box (across from Banana Republic) is a design by best-selling picture book author-illustrator Peter H. Reynolds. His card encourages donations to the Dedham COVID-19 Relief Fund.
“We observed the unique ways in which various art organizations and museums chose to showcase artists and their work during the shutdown,” said Legacy Place general manager Christa Seychew in an e-mail. “This idea was inspired by that, but we became motivated in the direction of Art Post when the [US Postal Service] released its study this past September regarding Generation Z’s fascinating attitude toward mail.”
Among other findings, the study’s authors wrote that Gen Zers (ages 8-23) “associate mail with happiness and excitement, and recognize that mailing a card, for example, means taking the extra effort to make their family and friends feel special.” Meanwhile, another USPS study found that 65 percent of Americans of all ages reported lifted spirits after receiving mail the old-fashioned way.
Dedham-based Reynolds says he’s a “huge fan of snail mail. … If I can help people send more real mail, I know it will have positive ripples of connection, especially at a time so many people are feeling isolated.”
“It’s been a dark time over the last year — full of anxiety, loss and isolation,” Reynolds continued in an e-mail. “But I truly believe that each of us can bring more light into the world with our love and compassion for others … by the simple act of connection.”
For more information: www.legacyplace.com.
Lauren Daley can be reached at ldaley33@gmail.com. She tweets @laurendaley1.
Lauren Daley can be reached at ldaley33@gmail.com. Follow her on Twiiter @laurendaley1.