A look of pure joy crosses Jon Amos' face every time he opens a card, unwraps a parcel, or hears the words from a letter addressed to him — and they're all from perfect strangers.
The 30-year-old, who has Down Syndrome and lives in the tiny north-west Victorian town of Ouyen, has found it difficult to understand why he now has to stay home instead of going about his usual daily activities.
So the people around him, including his older sister, Dee Amos, found a way to cheer him up by encouraging others to correspond with him through the post.
"It's good for Jon, but it's also good for everyone else," Ms Amos said.
"It gives them a way to be good in these dark times and to help other people."
"I think that's what people are searching for."
'An absolute hit'
Ms Amos said her family had been making a huge effort to keep Jon occupied with games, paintings and other activities in lieu of the programs that he would normally go to.
He has been following any news related to his beloved Aussie Rules football team, the Melbourne Demons, as well as camping out in the backyard.
"He's coping okay, but it's the lack of understanding that's really hard to deal with, no matter how we try to explain it," she said.
"He won't fully grasp why we have to do this, which is hard for him, but it's also hard for us to see him struggle with it."
A family friend suggested encouraging other people to drop mail off to Jon, which Dee said was "an absolute hit".
"He loves checking the mailbox and finding little notes," she said.
"We've had local community members drop off word searches, stickers and other things popped in there to keep him amused."
Over the past few weeks, Jon's mail started arriving from far-flung parts of Australia in the Northern Territory and Tasmania, and even from overseas.
Ms Amos films Jon's reactions and posts them to social media, and Jon has been penning replies to his new friends.
Restrictions disrupting rhythm
Jon usually takes part in programs through the Christie Centre, a disability service that runs social activities and teaches skills in horticulture, furniture-making, and arts and crafts.
Chief executive Florence Davidson said the centre had no choice but to reduce its offering because of COVID-19 restrictions.
"The need to understand why there are restrictions placed on a person is difficult for all of us," Ms Davidson said.
"But it's more difficult when you require a level of predictability to manage your day to help reduce the level of anxiety associated with 'Well, what do I do today?'
She said staff from the centre had mailed out activity packs and have been using video technology to keep in touch with clients online.
"Our choir has made a theme tune to wash your hands by," she said.
"It's about physical distancing but also keeping socially connected."
Ms Davidson said Jon's story was a fantastic example of "social media for good".
"It's been delightful to look at things outside of this with that broader level of social connection that perhaps we had forgotten about in the busyness of our lives," she said.
