When it comes to children with life-threatening conditions, many of us feel completely powerless. We wish that there was something we could do, but oftentimes there’s really not much that can be done outside the medical realm. We can donate money to places like St. Jude’s Hospital—which is a very worthy thing to do, absolutely—and we can write to our officials to stop allowing deadly chemicals to be present in our water (such as atrazine) and our household products, but other than that, we don’t always see where our help could possibly be used.

That’s where Make a Child Smile comes in. Make a Child Smile is a wonderful organization that hosts the stories of many children facing life-threatening illnesses right now and helps the public lend a hand by providing a way to send these kids gifts and cards via postal mail.

MACS lists children with chronic illnesses who could use a cheerful letter, small gift, or simple words of encouragement from both loved ones and people from afar. Not all of the children are terminal; some face a very positive outlook. However, many of the children do face deadly diseases, and the site lists many children they refer to as their angels who’ve passed away while in the program.

You don’t have to sign up to participate. All you have to do is read about the children listed on the site and send them letters of encouragement. The site has guidelines for letters (for example, don’t write “Get well soon” or “Get better”), as well as all of the kids’ addresses where they can be mailed at.

A list of children “in need of extra mail” is also provided. This list features kids who’ve gone into relapse, had a major transplant or surgery, or who are in hospice care. People are encouraged to send these children lots of loving letters and support as they face such scary ordeals and chronic illnesses. People can also contribute to the Love Quilts section of the site, where handmade quilts are made and delivered to children who are featured.

It’s important to note that the program is not a pen pal program. Many people who send letters or gifts include their return address or email address, and they may receive thank-you letters from parents and/or children. However, it’s not guaranteed that a reply will be sent, so people should keep that in mind if they expect a reply.