Showing our Gratitude to Servicemembers

As many of us begin to get our holiday plans in order, thousands of American troops are currently deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq and military bases overseas and will not be able to spend quality time with their loved ones this holiday season.

Please join Senator Jeff Merkley in showing your appreciation for their courageous service by writing a holiday greeting card to a servicemember, military family, or veteran. A few words of appreciation and warmth can brighten up a servicemember's day and provide support to a military family that will not be able to spend the holidays with their loved one.

The American Red Cross is sponsoring the Holiday Mail for Heroes program to give us the opportunity to express our gratitude to our brave men and women in uniform by sending a greeting card during the holidays. To learn more about how and where to mail your greeting card, please visit the Red Cross website for more information. Remember to mail your card by December 10th.

Honoring Heroes at Home

Do you know an active duty servicemember or veteran in your community? Do they have a story you think should be shared with fellow Oregonians? If you or someone close to you has a story of struggle or frustration, joy or success, please share it by visiting Oregon Stories today.

If you’re a veteran, servicemember or have a loved one who serves in the military, and in need of assistance, please don’t hesitate to call Oregon Partnership’s Military Helpline.  The helpline provides servicemembers and their families with information about resources available by the VA, vet centers, and reintegration services, as well as mental health and suicide crisis intervention.  You can call the helpline at 1-888-457-4838. The helpline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  For information about additional resources for servicemembers and their families, please visit the For Veterans page.