Happy Mail for Heroes

We just got this e-mail at school, and I wanted to pass it along.  Please remember our military who are fighting for freedom and will not be with their loved ones this holiday season.

For the 2010 holiday season, the Red Cross and Pitney Bowes are again sponsoring a "Holiday Mail for Heroes" program to distribute holiday cards to service members, a program that encompasses not just troops who are recovering in military hospitals but also service members stationed throughout the U.S. and abroad, as well as veterans and their families.

The cards should be addressed to:
Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD
20791-5456
As noted on the "Holiday Mail for Heroes" section of the American Red Cross' web site, all cards must be postmarked no later than Friday, December 10, 2010. Cards postmarked after that will be returned to the sender. This deadline ensures enough time to sort and distribute cards before the holidays.

The Red Cross provides these additional guidelines:
Do
  • Include your heartfelt sentiments and sign all cards
  • Entitle cards with generic terms such as "Dear Service Member, Family or Veteran"
  • Limit cards to 15 per person or 50 for school class or business group
  • Bundle groups of cards in single, large envelopes.
Don't
  • Send letters, care packages or monetary gifts
  • Include personal information such as home or email addresses
  • Use glitter — excessive amounts can aggravate health issues of wounded recipients
  • Include inserts of any kind as they must be removed in the screening process
Also please note that the "Holiday Mail for Heroes" program is for the delivery of holiday cards only. Those wishing to donate items such as phone cards or military comfort kits should go to the military section of the Red Cross online catalogue.

7 comments:

  1. Mary! I am so pumped that you liked the red beans and rice even with your varations but that doeesn't surprise me because the best dishes are made out of substitution sometimes! :) I bet the turkey sausage was divine in it and you can just use bacon next time if you can't find the pancetta but usually its near the cured ham and meats section- at least it is in our store! Love ya
    jessica

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  2. I'm trying to get a card posted...I am so far behind right now it's not funny but that is on my to do list for today. Maybe tomorrow. Because that's how my to do list has been going : )

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  3. that sounds like a wonderful program to participate in, Mary! I remember one year we did something similar, because I remember hubby and me bought a few boxes of cards and wrote a note of thanks in each of them and then sent the cards to someone who distributed them. I had been involved with Soldier Angels too in the past that pairs you up with a soldier to write to; not like a pen pal, you don't expect them to write back, but you write them weekly, send little care packages, etc. I think it is a great morale booster for them to hear their names called during mail call. Might have to do that next year again....

    enjoy Wednesday!

    betty

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