> [!NOTE]+ Meta > Reference:: _The Letterbox Project - CRN_. (n.d.). CRN. https://creativerecovery.net.au/project/strathewen-letterbox-project/ > Tags:: #warp > WeftLinks:: [[Disaster recovery value of craft]] > Claim:: [[Claim - Craft helps recovery from trauma]] > [!SUMMARY] Summary > The Letterbox Project in Strathewen helps community members cope with loss after devastating fires by creating together personalized mosaic letterboxes. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lb5Bbsq3kQ4?si=7nyDjXpZGmeAnNl4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> The Letterbox Project started in May 2009, three months after the Black Saturday bushfires when local resident, Marion Oakley, formed a local group to create 60 mosaic letterboxes for community members rebuilding their homes, as a welcome back to the community. The working group met weekly, drawing comfort from being with each other and providing time for connection an healing. The letterboxes represent hope, renewal and the strength to come back from adversity. Letters were exchanged in the community through the letterboxes which gives a private and intimate connection to the maker of the letterbox and place for healing. ### Highlights > tell each other stories about what you're doing with your boxes talk about our pain and our loss, but also a great deal of hope. [About the letter box with "Harry", the pet dog that died in the fires, on the back] so when we come down to get the mail, you can think of Harry. >very early on in the piece I couldn't talk about it sometimes I just couldn't talk about it was too horrible and then after a while you think oh yeah I'm over that >I'm not having to explain everything because it's just too hard to explain the feelings. I think a psychologist said that feelings are too deep they don't have words.