Holiday Mail for Heroes
Holiday Mail for Heroes is back!
There have been a flurry of emails floating around this year regarding the sending of greeting cards and gifts to our men and women in the service. One such email has you sending your items to "Any Recovering Veteran". This was at one point a valid movement but was not properly constructed and fell by the wayside. Walter Reed Army Hospital and others will not accept shipment to "Any Recovering…" They must be addressed to a specific individual. However there is a program in place that is valid and that has been working. Check this out:
In this season of hope and giving the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes, Inc. have joined forces to invite Americans to “send a touch of home” to United States service members and veterans across the country and abroad. In its third year, the Holiday Mail for Heroes program is an opportunity to share joy and thanks with our service members throughout the holiday season by way of a greeting card.
Today over 1.4 million men and women serve in the U.S. armed forces and over 24 million veterans have served in the past. The holiday season is the perfect time to honor and extend a warm holiday greeting to those who’ve served and continue to do so.
How Holiday Mail works
We have established an extensive process to ensure all cards sent to our service members are safe and arrive in time for the holidays. Holiday cards will be collected through a unique P.O. Box address from Monday, November 2 through Monday, December 7*.
First, cards from across the nation must be sent to this address:
Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456
Every card received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and distributed to participating Red Cross chapters nationwide. Once the cards arrive at the Red Cross chapters, they are sorted and reviewed by volunteers who then distribute them to service members, their families and veterans in communities across the country.
"The program has already generated a tremendous response in our community and this is our first year participating. Everyone who hears about Holiday Mail wants to be involved because it gives us all the chance to seek out service men and women and veterans and tell them just how special they are and how much we appreciate their service and sacrifice."
– Tammy, Smith County Red Cross Chapter Tyler, Texas.Please don’t forget to follow these guidelines while preparing your holiday greetings!
Do…
Sign all cards
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 (there is no need to include individual envelopes and postage for cards)
Don’t…
Send letters
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
Welcome to this year’s Holiday Mail for Heroes celebrity spokesperson – pop singer and songwriter Amy Grant!“I am honored and thrilled to be part of this program. The service that our military men and women provide this country year-round is invaluable and I feel it especially important to give thanks for their sacrifices during the holiday season.”
– Amy Grant.
Posts
December 15th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Hrmm that was weird, my comment got eaten. Anyway I wanted to say that it’s nice to know that someone else also mentioned this as I had trouble finding the same info elsewhere. This was the first place that told me the answer. Thanks.