Simple letters making a big difference for Georgia man with special needs

SUWANEE, Ga. - Picking up the phone to call a loved one is easy … but how about a handwritten letter? 

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Family and friends as far away as Washington state are sending one Suwanee man dozens of letters a day.

Graham Goodwin looks forward to checking the mailbox each afternoon. A postal worker greets him with a box of nearly 50 handwritten letters.

From Easter cards to simple messages of “I love you,” the kind words help him during what can be an isolating time for the special needs community. 

“We want other people to connect to everybody else out there in the world," Graham's dad John Goodwin said. "A lot of people in the special needs community that need a lot of help right now.”

Graham’s sister asked others on social media to send her brother letters of encouragement. Graham’s father never expected the requests to get such a great response. He posts pictures and videos to Facebook after each trip to the mailbox.

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“It just started as a simple act to try to keep him focused on something, but it’s changed in reverse trying to make other people happy," John Goodwin said.

Reading the letters can take Graham and his parents up to an hour, but Graham likes to read them over and over again. 

“We all need contact. We all need a reason to get up in the morning right now. Go to that mailbox and have a little bit of fun,” John Goodwin said.

The Goodwins want others to pass the kindness on. They suggest sending someone, whether they are a part of the special needs community or not, a handwritten letter.