Holiday Mail for Heroes

For the 2009 holiday season, the Red Cross is again sponsoring a Holiday Mail for Heroes program to distribute holiday cards to service members, a program that encompasses not just troops recovering in military hospitals but also service members serving in the US and abroad, as well as veterans and their families.

This year, the Red Cross is teaming up with 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.

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

Holiday Mail For Heroes

P.O. Box 5456

Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

All cards must be received no later than Monday, December 7th. Cards received 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 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.

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

You can also do more than send in cards. The Red Cross holiday gift catalog lists several different contributions you can make to provide much-needed items for service members, such as phone cards and “comfort kits”.  Or please consider making a donation to one of more than 300 non-profit organizations dedicated to helping our troops and their families listed on the America Supports You website.

Did you receive an email requesting cards be sent to "Any Wounded Soldier" or "A Recovering American Soldier" in care of Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital? Please do not do this!

• Walter Reed officials have said that any mail so addressed will not be delivered due to Department of Transportation policy (dating back to 2001) to ensure the safety & well-being of patients and staff at medical centers.
• The US Postal Service will not accept letters or packages so addressed. Any mail deposited in a collection box will not be delivered but sent to a Dead Letter place.