Local Red Cross and Pitney Bowes Encourage Public to Thank American Service Members though Holiday Mail for Heroes Program

Holiday Wishes Deliver “A Touch of Home” to U.S. Military Members, Veterans and Families

For a fifth year, the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes Inc. are teaming up to deliver holiday cheer and greetings to service members, their families and veterans throughout the holiday season.

The Holiday Mail for Heroes program provides Americans the opportunity to send holiday greetings to our men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces, many of whom will be far from home over the holidays, our nation’s veterans and their families.

Between now and December 9, the public is invited to send a “touch of home” through holiday cards that contain messages of cheer and appreciation. The Red Cross and Pitney Bowes will then screen cards for hazardous materials, sort and package the cards, and deliver them to military bases and hospitals, veteran’s hospitals and other locations during the holidays.  Pitney Bowes is donating all screening, packaging and shipping to the cause.  The Red Cross will mobilize hundreds of volunteers to sort and box cards for delivery to service men and women, veterans and family members in November and December.   

“All you need is a pen and piece of paper to share your appreciation of the sacrifices our men and women in uniform make each day in their service to our country,” said John Kost, the Services to Armed Forces program manager.  “The American Red Cross serves and supports members of the military, veterans, and their families by providing emergency communications, educational resources, comfort and assistance each day. The Holiday Mail for Heroes program continues in the Red Cross tradition of service to those who serve.”

Throughout the state, groups are invited to make holiday cards. If attending the World Champion Green Bay Packers Blood Drive on November 8, 2011 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Legends Club Room at Lambeau Field. We will have preprinted holiday cards, donated by Miles Kimball’s, to sign. Not only can you give the gift of life with a blood donation, you can send a holiday message to a service member.

Additional early commitments to make cards and host events include the UW-Green Bay Red Cross Club, elementary schools and the Pitney Bowes office in Neenah is hosting an employee card signing event. This is the second year Miles Kimball’s, based in Oshkosh, has supported the program with 2,500 and 5,000 cards donated respectively.

Last year, with the help of Pitney Bowes, hundreds of volunteers screened, sorted and packaged cards that were delivered to military bases, veteran and military hospitals across the U.S. and around the world. Locally, thousands of cards were presented to Veterans living in the area, at the King VA Facility in Waupaca, WI and the Oscar G. Johnson VA Hospital and Clinics in Iron Mountain, Michigan.  Plans are being made for additional outreach this December.

“Sending a card is a simple way to show our gratitude for the tremendous sacrifice that our military personnel and their families make every single day on the nation’s behalf,” said Kevin Connolly, Vice President and General Manager of North American Service Delivery, Pitney Bowes Management Services and Vice President, Strategic Transformation for Pitney Bowes. “The holiday season is a perfect time for all Americans to take the opportunity to say ‘thank you.’ We are pleased to join forces with the Red Cross for the fifth year to help make that happen.”

All holiday greetings should be addressed and sent to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes

P.O. Box 5456

Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Cards must be postmarked no later than December 9; cards received after this date will be returned to senders.  For reasons of processing and safety, participants are asked to refrain from sending “care packages,” monetary gifts, using glitter or including any inserts with the cards.

Visit redcross.org/holidaymail for a full list of recommended guidelines and best practices for the Holiday Mail for Heroes program.

Additional ways to become involved with the campaign include connecting with fellow card senders through Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/redcross and Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/redcross using the hashtag #holidaymail.

About Pitney Bowes:

Delivering more than 90 years of innovation, Pitney Bowes provides software, hardware and services that integrate physical and digital communications channels. Long known for making its customers more productive, Pitney Bowes is increasingly helping other companies grow their business through advanced customer communications management. Pitney Bowes is a $5.4 billion company and employs more than 30,000 worldwide. Pitney Bowes: Every connection is a new opportunity™. www.pb.com

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation’s blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.