Send Military Holiday Wishes With "Holiday Mail for Heroes"

There are many soldiers that long to be home for the holidays with their families, but are still abroad or are recovering in hospitals after being wounded in the line of duty. “Holiday Mail for Heroes” with the American Red Cross is an easy way for you to let them know they are thought of and thank them for their sacrifices for our freedom. You are encouraged to sign a holiday card that will be sent to a military member or wounded warrior.

I know we have a lot of crafty card makers in the Northland, but we need to get busy because the deadline is end of next month, they plan to distribute the cards in early December. But, there's still plenty of time to create and send cards to service members, veterans and their families who will be thrilled to receive them. Or you can show up at an event and add your personal message to a card. They are doing it a bit differently this year and calling it "event based". Your messages send that touch of home and a sense of family many of our troops long for during the holiday season.

EVENT LOCATIONS:

In past blogs, I had given you a national P.O. Box to send your cards. While several communities across the nation will be taking part in thw 2015 Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign the local Red Cross offices will be more involved with collecting, sorting, and distributing the holiday cards using an events-based approach in their local communities.

The responsibilities of the Local Red Cross offices will be to:

Hold events to sign or make holiday cards
Schedule card-sorting times
Coordinate card delivery to the military, vets and families in their communities

These changes allow local Red Cross offices to concentrate on members of the military, veterans and families in their community—neighbors helping neighbors.

Here's what you can do. Drop off or mail the cards to our local red cross chapter, or bring them to one of the scheduled events:

October 9th - Superior High School football game
October 24th - UMD football game
November 6th - Bent Paddle Brewery - 2:00-11:00 (free beer for anyone who brings at least 3 Holiday cards with them filled out for the program)-Must be of legal drinking age.
November 14th - UMD hockey game

There will be cards there to sign, but you are encouraging to bring cards of your own or cards that your church, boy scout, girl scout or other group organization have made.

Each service member or vet gets a bundle of cards wrapped with a ribbon thanking them for their service. Last year they collected over 7,000 cards, they have upped their goal this year to collect 10,000. Can you help reach that goal?

info via: American Red Cross & WDIO