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Holiday Mail for Heroes

Wounded soldiers have often become an afterthought as the holiday season approches.

During the 2007 holiday season, the American Red Cross the charitable disaster relief organization- and Pitney Bowes- a mail management company partner to create Holiday Mail for Heroes. The program which is in its second year ran until Dec. 10.

Holiday Mail for Heroes is a program that allows the public to send holiday cards to share their appreciation and holiday cheer with service men and women in the United States, and around the world. A card may be sent to the listed addressed and should follow the specific guidelines listed on www.redcross.org.

“Last year 600,000 cards were distributed across the world,” said Lesly Simmons, Red Cross director of public affairs. The Red Cross has a long tradition of service to the armed forces.This program is made possible with the support of Pitney Bowes as they are waiving the cost of screening, packaging, and shipping for all of the mail that will be sent during a four-week period. “I think that it is really great that a large company such as Pitney Bowes, and an organization such as the Red Cross have teamed up to support our troops,” said Camille Norris 20, a junior Psychology major at Howard University and a former patient at Walter Reed Medical Center has always been a supporter of any efforts to support troops. “Since I can remember I have been traveling with my dad, because he was in the army. I have never lived in one place for more than 5 or 7 years. Now that I am older, and I understand what it means to fight for this country, I really think that this is a great effort and I want to get involved,” Norris said. The project is a great service to more than 600 inpatient and outpatient servicemen and women that the medical center serves.Terry Goodman, the deputy public affairs director for the Walter Reed Army Medical Center said “Although I do not like to speak on behalf of our soldiers, anytime that the nation shows love and thanks for our most wounded warriors I’m sure that they are very appreciative and are very thankful that they are being thought about.”

Those interested in sending cards to the soldiers should address their letters to:Holiday Mail For HeroesP.O.Box 5456Capitol Heights, MD 20792-5456