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Who we are

Two students,
a tape recorder,
and time.

We started Letter of Life because we each lost a grandparent before we got to ask the questions. This is our way of making sure other families don't.

An elderly person's hands holding a younger person's hands
the time we never got
Gavin Young, co-founder of Letter of Life

Gavin Young

Co-founder

My grandfather passed away when I was very little, and I have a hundred questions I'll never get to ask him. I started Letter of Life so other kids don't end up where I am — wishing they'd written it down while there was still time.

— Gavin
Eli Xie, co-founder of Letter of Life

Eli Xie

Co-founder

My grandparents on my dad's side passed before I was born, and I only met my grandfather on my mom's side once. I co-founded Letter of Life to make up for the time I never got — by giving that time to someone else.

— Eli
Our process

Three sittings,
then a letter.

Each story is built over three unhurried conversations — 45 to 60 minutes each, by phone or video. Structured enough to guide, loose enough to wander.

01
Session one

Beginnings

Early life, family, the place they grew up. We start at the beginning and let them set the pace.

Session two

The middle chapters

Career, love, the turning points, the proudest moments. The years that shaped who they became.

Session three

Reflections

Advice, messages to family, the things they most want remembered. The wisdom they'd like to leave behind.

After the sittings

Written, read back, delivered

We turn it into two pieces — a full biography and a one-page letter in their own voice — review every word with them, and hand it to their family to keep.

Nothing is published without the resident saying yes.

Each finished piece is read back and approved before it's finalized. Completed stories are delivered to families as printed keepsakes and, only with the resident's explicit consent, kept in our archive so the people in them are not forgotten.

What we hold to

D

Dignity

Every person's story matters, regardless of who's left to hear it.

G

It's a gift

We work at no cost to facilities or residents. This is a gift, never a service to sell.

V

Their voice

We write in each resident's own words, not ours. These are their stories, in their voice.

P

Privacy

Residents choose what they share and whether it's published. Nothing is public without consent.

Want us to sit down with your residents?

Partner with us

At a glance

Plain facts about what Letter of Life is, who it serves, and how to reach us.

  • Letter of Life is a volunteer project that preserves the life stories of seniors in care.
  • Interviews, the written biography, and the Letter of Life are free for residents and senior living communities.
  • Service area: Greater Philadelphia, Montgomery County, South Jersey.
  • Facility interviews are conducted by phone or video.
  • Families can also use the At-Home Workbook or the AI Life Story Guide.
  • Official site: https://letteroflife.org. Contact: letteroflifeorg@outlook.com.

More about the project

Who runs Letter of Life, what families receive, and how to get in touch.

Who runs Letter of Life?
Letter of Life is run by high school students from the Greater Philadelphia area. They started the project after each lost a grandparent before getting to ask the questions they wished they had.
What does each resident receive?
After three personal interviews, each participant receives two finished pieces: a biographical profile of their full life and a one-page Letter of Life written in their own voice for the people they love.
How long does the interview process take?
The program uses three unhurried interview sessions, each focused on a different chapter of life — beginnings, the middle years, and what they want remembered.
How do I contact Letter of Life?
Email letteroflifeorg@outlook.com to ask about a senior's story, a family at-home workbook, or partnering with a care community in Greater Philadelphia or South Jersey.
What is the Letter of Life AI guide?
The AI Life Story Guide at letteroflife.org/ai lets you tell your story out loud. It asks one workbook question at a time, records your answer, and follows up gently when a memory needs more room.

Partner with usAt-home workbookAI story guide