“Holiday Mail Call” For Our Soldiers

Red Cross “Holiday Mail Call” Program 2008 Guidelines
The American Red Cross announce that it will sponsor a national ‚Holiday Mail Call‛ program in 2008 as it did in 2007! Last year the Red Cross reviewed and distributed over 600,000 cards to our wounded service members at hospitals around the country and overseas. This year they want to expand who is reached with the holiday greeting cards to include not only our wounded warriors, but all service members and their families, as well as veterans. Their goal is to reach 1,000,000 persons this year to show our appreciation for their service and wish them well over the holiday season and with your help they will!
Start Date of the Program: Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2008

Mailing Address:
Red Cross Holiday Mail Call
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

The Guidelines below should be followed to enable a quick reviewing process as well as to ensure that cards are not offensive in any way to anyone who might receive one:

1. Please ensure all cards are signed
2. Please send cards as opposed to long letters which delay a quick review process
3. Please do not include e-mail or home addresses on the cards as the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships
4. Please do not insert photos, money, religious articles (i.e.-rosary beads, prayer cards, etc), glitter, ‘snow’ or like items in cards as these items will be removed during the reviewing process.
Participants are requested not to send more than 25 cards from any one person or 50 cards from any one group.End Date of the Program: All cards must be postmarked no later than Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Phone cards or gift cards will not be accepted with cards. Those wishing to send calling cards or gift cards/certificates should go to:
www.aafes.com, scroll down to ‚AAFES Community Connection‛ and click on ‚Help Our Troops Call Home‛ or ‚Gift Cards/Certificates for Our Troops‛ in order to send such items .

No ‘Care Packages’ will be accepted at this address. Those wishing to send care packages should go to:
www.AmericaSupportsYou.com and click under ‚Home front Groups‛ to find out how to send care packages.

If we pass this on and everyone sends one card, think of how many cards these wonderful special people who have sacrificed so much would get.

Thanksgiving Wishes
On this Thanksgiving we owe our troops a tremendous debt of gratitude .Keep them in your thoughts and prayers on Thanksgiving and every day. Say a prayer of thanks, as well, for the families who have an empty spot at the table this Thanksgiving either because their loved one is serving or because they made the ultimate sacrifice .

And to you all an early Thanksgiving wish. I hope you all are able to get together with family. If not, I hope you are invited somewhere so you don't eat alone. Remember your loved ones who aren't around are with you always in spirit.