Holiday Mail For Heroes is here again! This year, we are teaming up with our friends at Pitney Bowes for the third time to send holiday cards to service members, veterans, and their families. This is a great way to give back this holiday season - by sharing your kind words and thanks with those who have given a great deal to their country.

We will begin accepting cards on November 2nd. Send in your cards to the address below, and please read the guidelines carefully!

All cards must be postmarked no later than Monday, December 7th. Cards postmarked after this date will unfortunately be returned to the sender. This deadline ensures enough time to sort and distribute cards before the holidays.

After the mailbox closes, the cards we received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working around the country. Then, the cards are sent out to recipients in time for the holidays.

If you would like to begin working on your cards now, here are some quick guidelines to ensure your cards makes to a hero as quickly as possible:

Do...

• Ensure that all cards are signed.
• Make cards more meaningful to a wide variety of recipients by using “Dear Service Member, Family or Veteran” rather than any more specific language. You are encouraged to send holiday-neutral cards rather than religious-themed cards. Note: Cards addressed to specific individuals cannot be delivered through this program.
• Limit the number of cards to 15 from any one person or 50 from any one school class, business or group. If you are mailing a large quantity, please bundle the cards and place them in large mailing envelopes. Each card does not need its own envelope, as envelopes will be removed from all cards before distribution.

Do not...

• Send letters. Only cards are being accepted.
• Include email or home addresses on the cards, as the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.
• Include cards with excessive amounts of glitter. Because cards may be received by wounded service members and veterans in hospitals, large quantities of glitter could aggravate existing health problems.
• Include inserts of any kind, including photos, as these items will be removed during the reviewing process.

This year, we are excited to partner with the talented Amy Grant. Amy is also a member of our celebrity cabinet. In her words, “I am honored and thrilled to be a part of the Holiday Mail for Heroes program. The service that our military men and women provide this country year-round is invaluable and I feel it is especially important to give thanks for their sacrifices during the holiday season.”

Amy will be joining us for our special kick-off event on November 11th, Veteran’s Day---watch http://redcrosschat.org for updates.

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