Holiday Greetings for Our Troops, Veterans and Military Families!!! Please Help!!!

[pennymom]

The American Red Cross is again sponsoring the annual Holiday Mail for Heroes (http://www.redcross.org/holidaymail) campaign. If individuals, classes or businesses are interested in sending holiday cards to our troops, their families or our veterans, please follow the guidelines below. Cards may be made or purchased, and even an inexpensive box of holiday cards from a dollar store can mean a great deal to the service members, military families or veterans who receive them. Cards are sent to one location from all over the United States, screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes, then sent to Red Cross chapters to be sorted, reviewed and distributed in communities all over the United States.

Do:
Entitle cards “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
Make sure the cards are postmarked by December 7, 2009

Don't:
Send letters
Include personal information such as home or email addresses
Use glitter – it can aggravate health issues of wounded recipients
Include inserts of any kind as they must be removed in the screening process

All cards MUST be mailed to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Please check the Holiday Mail for Heroes website (http://www.redcross.org/holidaymail) with any questions. What a wonderful and easy way to show some appreciation for our troops, veterans and military families!

THANK YOU!!!

 

[skw444]

Thanks for posting this. I think this will be a great idea for our Girl Scout troop to do at our meeting this week.

 

[FINFAN]

our subdivision always participates in a charity or organization each Christmas..this year it is the military. We sent our goodies off 2 weeks ago, it was fun getting the items they requested and need. DS hand picked the cards to include and it really gets your holiday spirit moving.

 

[glitterkittyy]

Thanks for the info. I don't send too many cards to family anymore (most do e-cards these days!) so this would be fun for the kids.

 

[alexb0923]

This sounds like a great idea. : I'm glad for a chance to support the troops. Even if you just order a bunch of cheap holiday cards, I'm sure that the troops will be happy. I'm not sure how much mail they get from the states, but it can't be much. Especially at a time when they are probably missing home more than usual

 

[pennymom]

Thanks, everyone! We have a megabase in this area and I know for sure how much the troops, veterans and families appreciate knowing that someone is thinking about them!

 

[PatsGirl]

Thanks. I am going to hang this at work and collect cards to send from anyone who cares to do this.

 

[mickaholic4077]

Bumping up!!!

 

[pennymom]

Thanks!

 

[pennymom]

Bump!

 

[JoBird]

Just sent the link to my DD's teacher--- gonna see if we can do it school-wide.

 

[pennymom]

Bump!

 

[princess momma]

Great idea for my Girl Scout troop!

 

[pennymom]

Thanks!

 

[DisneyCP2002]

Thanks for sharing

 

[pennymom]

Bump, in case there is anyone else hanging at home on Black Friday!

 

[pennymom]

Bump, since they have to be postmarked by Monday! Thanks to all!

 

[live4christp1]

I saw your post several weeks ago - thanks so much for posting it!!!!! My Daisy troop made cards Monday night to send. The envelope full went out yesterday.

This was a nice thing to include in our Nov/Dec line up for our kindness & compassion petal. They also filled boxes for Operation Christmas child (over 150 boxes) and brought items to donate to fill those boxes. We also took items (toiletries) to a special workshop two Saturdays ago that will be distributed to people in shelters.

Thanks again for posting this!!!!! The girls really enjoyed making Christmas cards!

 

[pennymom]

Please thank your Daisies for me! What a wonderful way to teach them to think of others!

If you are ever looking for additional ideas, contact your local Red Cross. We have had scouts and school groups collect travel-size toiletries to distribute to soldiers on deployment, stuffed animals and activity backpacks for children who have been displaced due to home fires, and many other projects.

Thank you again, and please PM me if you have any questions about Red Cross projects (I both work and volunteer there).