Giving Back this Holiday Season: Show them We Care
Princess Mombi posted about giving back during the holidays by getting involved in community service this season. She encouraged all of us to do something to help others. Yesterday morning she posted a terrific opportunity to give back.
The Red Cross is partnering with Pitney Bowes this holiday season for the Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign. For the second year in a row, they’re collecting holiday cards to distribute to American service members, veterans and their families in the United States and around the world.
You can make cards or buy cards. I’m planning on using up all the cards I have leftover from my previous year mailings. Their goal is to collect and distribute one million holiday cards to spread holiday cheer and facilitate thanks to these brave individuals and families. Let’s see what we can do to help them reach this goal (we have to hurry, they must be postmarked by December 10). I’m going to commit to sending in 25 cards myself (I already wrote them out last night) and I’m going to try to have my family members and Mr Chiot’s family members all sign some on Thanksgiving for another 50 (for a total of 75).
So what do you think, want to join in? Send out a few cards and post a comment below to let us know how many we can help them cross of their list, if all of my readers send in 25 we could send in over 1,000 cards! Grab your families and spend some time thanking our service members. Make sure you read the guidelines below and mail to the following address:
Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456
Card Guidelines
Please follow these guidelines when mailing a card to ensure that your card will quickly reach service members, veterans and their families. Every card received will first be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working in one of 16 sorting stations around the country.
All cards must be postmarked no later than Wednesday, December 10, 2008. Cards sent after this date will be returned to sender.
Participants are encouraged to limit the number of cards they submit to 25 from any one person or 50 from any one class or group. If you are mailing a larger quantity, please bundle the cards and place them in large mailing envelopes. Each card does not need its own envelope or postage.
Please ensure that all cards are signed.
Please use generic salutations such as “Dear Service Member.” Cards addressed to specific individuals can not be delivered through this program.
Please send cards as opposed to long letters which delay a quick review process.
Please do not include email or home addresses on the cards, as the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.
Please do not include inserts of any kind, including photos, as these items will be removed during the reviewing process.
All cards received may be used in program publicity efforts, including appearing in broadcast, print or online mediums.
To find out other ways you can support and encourage the men and women that defend our freedoms every day visit: America Supports You
How nice!
to Pine Pod Farm's comment
As an ex-wife of a veteran I would be insulted if I got one of these. Too anonymous, too sentimental and yet void of genuine feeling. If people care, they can act in real life and make real human connections, not get rid of their guilt by sending cards.
to EJ's comment
They specify that you sign the cards not send them anonymously. I wrote a short note in each of mine thanking them for their service (and I really do appreciate their hard work and sacrifice) and signed my name so they would know who sent it. I am doing it to thank them not to to get rid of guilt, I have a brother who spent 10 years in the army and many years overseas and I have another family member in the service currently. I don’t think of it as a way to do something easy, but to do something else this season for those that work so hard to protect our freedoms.
This isn’t the only way I’ll be giving back this season but another way I can give back in addition to all the other things I’ll be doing.
to Susy's comment
Really? Insulted by a holiday card? These are no less impersonal than the corporate/business cards that are mailed each year, and I don’t think anyone is insulted by them.
No, holiday cards can’t heal the world or foster a meaningful relationship with a service member, but it is a small token of the season to let them know that you care.
to MeghanO's comment
Thanks to your and yours for creating such wonderful cards to send to our troops! On behalf of Pitney Bowes and the Red Cross, I wanted to thank you personally for contributing to the success of the program. I hope you will view and share our thank you video. We could not have done this without your help!
Holiday Mail for Heroes Thank You
to Valarie's comment