Frequently Asked Questions
How do I refer a child to receive Friend Mail?
Simply submit the online Referral Form to the right, or email referral details to jennifer@beafriendproject.org.
A Referral will begin the process of selection; it does not automatically register a child to receive Friend Mail. After a Referral, the next step for the BAFP is to chat briefly with a Parent/Guardian.
What is the Criteria for Friend Mail Recipients?
Recipients are experiencing or recovering from the trauma of bullying and be in Grades Kindergarten through 12th Grade.
What is expected of Parents/Guardians of Friend Mail Recipients?
The BAFP is 100% funded through donations. There is no fee for participants, whether Recipients, Ambassadors or Schools.
Before the BAFP can feature a child or teen as a Recipient, P/Gs must give their permission. We will ask for 2+ pictures of their child for the website, but it is not mandatory; share the child's story details in a phone call with the BAFP Executive Director; promise to provide pics, video (or even just a note) of the surprise Friend Mail presentation so we can keep our Ambassadors inspired. That's it!
Our Promise to Parents/Guardians:
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To bring you happy tears!
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To deliver peer support to your child!
We promise to deliver transformational peer support to your child that will help them stay strong, know they matter and that they are not alone!
We promise to keep your children's identity safe and anonymous. We will not reveal a Recipient's last name, address, school name or "out" their bullies. Unless you live in a large city like Miami or Chicago, we will not even reveal the town of residence, only the state. The only exception to this is if these identifiers have already appeared on a public newscast or article about the bullying that we embed on the Recipient's page.
We promise to review every single letter of support before it is included in your child's Friend Mail Package to make sure letter-writing guidelines are followed. We do not allow last names or any contact info, including social media addresses - only names and addresses of schools. We do not allow writers to suggest retaliation or violence of any kind, blame the victim (i.e. "you should have stood up for yourself") or to proselytize politically or religiously. If we come upon any of this, we pull the letter or just use a good ol' black Sharpie or White-Out to eliminate the problem!