Involve Schools in the Holiday Mail for Heroes Program
 Red Cross: Service to the Armed Forces

In December 2007, Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. approached the Red Cross asking it to assist in distributing thousands of holiday cards for wounded service men and women. In response to this request, the Red Cross partnered with Pitney Bowes to turn the project into a larger opportunity to reach service men and women and veterans at facilities across the country and abroad.

Congressman Taylor participating in the Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes card signing on Capitol Hill.

Now in its fourth year, the Holiday Mail for Heroes program provides Americans with the opportunity to extend holiday greetings, expressions of gratitude and well wishes to service members. In the last three years, the Red Cross has received more than 3 million cards for the program and used its national chapter network and base installations around the world to deliver holiday cheer.

The 2010 Holiday Mail for Heroes P.O. Box is now open – and we need your help to make this year's program the best yet. As you start your card-making activities, don't forget to follow these important tips!

Do...

• Include your heartfelt sentiments and sign all cards
• Entitle cards with generic terms such as "Dear Service Member, Family or Veteran"
• Bundle groups of cards in single, large envelopes Don't...
• Send 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

Cards should be mailed to:
Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD  20791-5456

The deadline for this year is December 10th. Unfortunately, if your cards are not postmarked by December 10th, they cannot be delivered. After Pitney Bowes screens all mail for security purposes, Red Cross workers deliver holiday greetings to service men and women in their communities.

If you would like to learn more about Holiday Mail for Heroes, go to www.redcross.org/holidaymail.