Rebuild the missing context
Assume the recipient will not remember every date, promise, or earlier conversation. For a message about how to support someone after a robbery, use this factual base: confirm what they have shared, their current location or immediate need, and avoid repeating unverified information.
Say what needs to happen next
State the decision, information, or practical action you need and include a real deadline only when one exists. Offer one concrete resource, task, safe place, transport option, or flexible check-in. Make the immediate next step clear enough that the recipient can answer without reconstructing the entire history.
Avoid making urgency into pressure
Do not photograph, publish, fundraise in their name, or arrive at a crisis site without permission. Follow local emergency, evacuation, shelter, trauma, and safeguarding guidance before relying on a personal message. Do not make the other person responsible for reducing the discomfort that prompted you to write.