For the fourth consecutive year, Humanities Nebraska is providing a platform for Nebraskans across the state to connect through a tried-and-true pastime: writing a letter.
The nonprofit organization’s “Dear Stranger†letter-exchange program officially kicked off on Wednesday. The premise of the program is for Nebraskans to make a connection with a complete stranger through the exchange of letters written about a predetermined prompt.
According to Mary Yager, the associate director of Humanities Nebraska, the program started in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and was an instant hit.
“It was just a way to kind of try to continue our work in bringing people together when we couldn’t meet for a while,†Yager said. “And it was pretty popular, so we’ve done it every year since.â€
The program itself isn’t new, though. Yager said that Oregon Humanities originally conceived the “Dear Stranger†program and that it was easy for Humanities Nebraska to start the effort with the blueprint from Oregon.
Nebraskans interested in participating can submit a letter addressed to Dear Stranger, c/o Humanities Nebraska, 215 Centennial Mall South Suite 330, Lincoln, NE, 68508. From there, Yager and the rest of the Humanities Nebraska team will find an appropriate match based on a few factors.
“We divide the letters into short and long letters so that people who write a long letter might get a longer letter in response, and vice versa,†Yager said.
She also noted that location is a big factor, too. Yager noted that they try to match people from the eastern part of Nebraska with people from the western part of Nebraska, and try to make sure there’s enough of a distance buffer between any two people to maintain intrigue.
Interested parties have until Feb. 15 to submit a letter. After they’re submitted and Humanities Nebraska goes through the matching process, people will receive their letter from a stranger.
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For most, according to Yager, that first letter exchange is the extent of their involvement in the “Dear Stranger†program. Those wanting to chat further with their new pen-pal can request their contact information upon mutual consent from the person they’ve written to.
Yager says the program has led to new friendships.
“I know that a few of our participants every year do connect beyond the first letter exchange and maintain a relationship over time,†Yager said. “I think some who participated the first year are still in communication today.â€
As far as participation goes, Yager said Humanities Nebraska is hoping for a rebound in 2023. The program had about 50 people participate in 2020 and that number doubled in 2021. She said that those figures tapered off last year, and credited that to more people willing to get out of the house and interact in-person.
Yager said their current participation demographic skews a bit older, but that they also have children participate and exchange letters each year.
With recent advances in technology, Yager feels that letter writing “has kind of fallen by the wayside a little bit.†She believes there’s power in a handwritten letter, and she hopes Nebraskans utilize that power while making a new connection.
“As long as people are interested in doing it, we’ll continue to connect people through letter writing,†Yager said.
Those interested in learning more about the “Dear Stranger†program can visit .