The Mission: Send 1,000 Love Letters to Complete Strangers

Dec. 29, 2008— -- Who wouldn't want to get a love letter?

That's the idea behind a New York man's mission to send out 1,000 handwritten love notes to complete strangers.

What started out as a small pet project to make people smile has morphed into an international effort with requests coming from as far away as Russia and Australia.

Jake Bronstein is the man behind the pen. The 30-year-old marketing consultant told ABCNews.com that his love letter adventure started as one of the many ideas on his Web site designed to help people have fun, something he said adults don't make enough time for.

"He comes home with a lot of ideas," said Kristina Hoge, Bronstein's girlfriend. But neither expected the love letter project to become as big as it did, especially since posts on his blog usually generate only about 10 comments each.

"I think it was Thanksgiving, and he said, 'I think I'm going to need your help,'" Hoge, 26, said.

It's a far cry from the response Bronstein first got when, along with an intern from work, he stood in Manhattan's Union Square on a cold November day trying to hand out 30 copies of letters he'd written for no other reason then to brighten someone's day.

Bronstein, who lives in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, said he had read about a study that when someone does something nice for another person, endorphin levels for both people go up as well as for anyone else who witnesses the good deed.

So the guy who once hid $50 worth of pennies with good luck notes attached around town decided to write love letters.

After having his letters generally rejected in Union Square, Bronstein posted an offer on the Internet: If posters sent him their addresses, he would send them a handwritten love letter. He set his limit at 1,000 letters, a number he figured safely he would never have to fulfill.

Now, a little more than a month later, he's more than halfway to his goal.

Bronstein said he's hit his groove, but it is slow going.

"I can only do like five per hour," he said.

Sending Out Smiles

Bronstein and Hoge will write stacks of letters at a time and then stick preprinted address labels on them randomly. They don't even know which letter goes to which person.

But each is written to make people smile and to make them feel good about themselves.

Here is a sample from a yet-to-be-sent letter:

Dear You,

You know how the Eskimos have 30 words for snow? I wish we had something similar with love. That way I could say 'I love you' as in 'You're really good looking,' and 'I love you' as in 'You're fun to be around,' and 'I love you,' meaning 'You always say the right things.'

English is just so limited. I love you though, you know?

There's an added benefit for Hoge and Bronstein, who met nine months ago through a mutual friend. Bronstein said that, without speaking, the couple will often slide each other their own love letters, usually at the rate of one personal letter for every 10 of the letters written to strangers.

Both are hoping their recipients will pass the kindness on.

Bronstein said so many people have offered to write him back that he might start a letter-writing chain once he hits his 1,000-letter goal, having past recipients write letters to new requestors.

But there has been one glitch in his plan. Bronstein said he budgeted about $700 for postage. But now that his letters are going global, "I seem to have a following from Estonia," he said, his hobby has become more expensive.

But Bronstein has vowed to keep his promise to the first 1,000 posters.

Everyone Needs a Little Love

Bronstein's Web site indicates there is a shortage of love letters in places ranging from California to Norway to Saskatchewan.

"I would love a love letter," wrote one poster from Chile. "It's been a while."

Many have requested letters on behalf of their friends, their grandparents. There was even one request on behalf of someone's hairdresser.

One woman from Colorado requested a letter for her daughter.

"I think sometimes she thinks she is the only 15-year-old in the world and totally alone. This will brighten things for her! Thanks," the mother wrote.

Would you like a love letter from Jake Bronstein? Click Here to send him your address.