Holiday Mail for Heroes

ELECTRONIC (minus the holiday cards mailed for our heroes) & USA Swap.

Send a minimum of five (5) cards to the address below and then send an EMAIL to your partner about WHY you chose to do this swap and your experience with it how supporting our heroes has added to your life) You can also post the same note on the swap page - to share with everyone, if you'd like.

From the front lines to the home front, the American Red Cross provides service members, their families and veterans with the care and assistance they need.

The Red Cross is partnering with Pitney Bowes this holiday season for the Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign. For the second year in a row, they’re collecting holiday cards to distribute to American service members, veterans and their families in the United States and around the world. Pitney Bowes is generously donating technology, resources and postage to make this holiday card program possible.

The goal is to collect and distribute one million holiday cards to spread holiday cheer and facilitate thanks to these brave individuals and families.

Please send cards to this address, following the guidelines listed below:

Holiday Mail for Heroes PO Box 5456 Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Card Guidelines Please follow these guidelines when mailing a card to ensure that your card will quickly reach service members, veterans and their families. Every card received will first be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working in one of 16 sorting stations around the country.

• All cards must be postmarked no later than Wednesday, December 10, 2008. Cards sent after this date will be returned to sender.

• Please ensure that all cards are signed.

• Please use generic salutations such as “Dear Service Member.” Cards addressed to specific individuals can not be delivered through this program.

• Please send cards as opposed to long letters which delay a quick review process.

• Please do not include email or home addresses on the cards, as the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.

• Please do not include inserts of any kind, including photos, as these items will be removed during the reviewing process.

• Participants are encouraged to limit the number of cards they submit to 25 from any one person or 50 from any one class or group. If you are mailing a larger quantity, please bundle the cards and place them in large mailing envelopes. Each card does not need its own envelope.

• All cards received may be used in program publicity efforts, including appearing in broadcast, print or online mediums.

• Phone cards or gift cards will not be accepted with the holiday 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 "Homefront Groups" to find out how to send care packages.

RULES (even though I hate them) Rating of 4.5 or better, with NO no sends in the past six months. Go ahead and message me if you’ve been rated unfairly at any point or have a good reason for your lower rating or the no sends, and we’ll talk. I’m certainly open to listening - as I understand LIFE HAPPENS!

Newbies allowed, but with filled out profiles please by the time you are signing up.

Communication is key. If you’re going to be late with the swap, let your partner know. If your partner tells you he/she is going to be late, and keeps up the communication, give him/her a break. Sometimes things come up that just can’t be helped. Life happens!

I reserve the right to ban anyone that I think might be a problem. This means people that I've noticed have a history of rating unfairly, nastiness, etc. I believe in playing nice & fairly.

ENJOY, Have FUN - after-all, this is a HOBBY . . hobbies are supposed to bring you joy & happiness!!!!!!!!