As the surviving parent or guardian, there are likely many decisions in your future that will be difficult We hope you make the choice to request letters for the children, but we understand doing so may seem awkward.

We offer these suggestions…

If you know you’d like to request letters at the time the obituary is being written, you might include text that reads…

“We encourage friends and family to send letters of fond memories of ________ so they can be presented to the children when they become anxious to learn more about their Mom / Dad.”

If you’re a Facebook user you can also share our Facebook page or this web site with a similar comment as above.

If time has passed, and you decide at a later time that the children would enjoy other’s memories, there are many ways to request letters such as …

…Send an email similar to this (feel free to cut and paste)

Dear Friends & Family

The children and I have discovered tremendous value in sharing our memories and stories about _______________. I would like some help in enhancing the children’s awareness by adding stories from other people who knew _____________. I would really appreciate it if you would share some of your memories, in letter form, for the children. If you’d like some tips on how and what to write, you can visit the website at http://www.mfsk.org. Please address your letters to me, and send them through the mail so the kids can keep them in their scrapbooks.

We’re all so thankful of the support you’ve given us already.

…And then there’s one of my favorite ways to let people know, just come right out and ask. Most people struggle to find a way to help those recovering from grief. They will be thankful that you mentioned it.

…We now have Letter Request Kits available.

These kits include an MFSK lapel pin, a brochure, some small cards to slip in your mailings that mention the family would enjoy it if those in receipt of the card were to write, and a small sticker to place on a photo matting that reads “Ask us about Memories for Surviving Kids”. These kits are free, and are made available through the generosity of our donors. To request a kit, please send us an email with your name and address. We ask that you consider making a modest donation so we can continue to provide this gift to others.