Business News

Remember to Send “Holiday Mail for Heroes” Greetings to U.S. Military Members, Veterans and their Families by December 10

Tuesday 07. December 2010 - For the fourth year in a row, Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI) and the American Red Cross are collecting cards from the public to distribute to U.S. military service members, veterans, and their families across the country and abroad this holiday season. However, the December 10 deadline for cards is approaching fast.

“During the past three years, Americans helped send three million cards to our service members and veterans through Holiday Mail for Heroes, and we are expecting another high volume of cards this year due to positive response,” said Vicki O’Meara, executive vice president and president of Pitney Bowes Management Services. “To help make sure there is enough time to process, sort and deliver cards before the holidays, we are encouraging the public to send their greetings for the campaign by December 10.”
“There are currently 1.4 million active duty service members, and tens of thousands of will find themselves away from home during this holiday season,” said Sherri Brown, senior vice president of Service to the Armed Forces at the American Red Cross. “Through Holiday Mail for Heroes, Americans can help send a touch of home to our men and women in uniform, their families and many of our nation’s 24 million veterans.”
To participate in the campaign, the public can send holiday cards with personal messages to:
Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456
Cards must be postmarked no later than December 10. Please be sure to affix adequate postage. For reasons of processing and safety, participants are asked to refrain from sending “care packages” or monetary gifts; using glitter; or including any inserts with the cards.
The public can also support military members, veterans and their families this year by making an online donation at www.redcross.org. Donors can add a personal message to one of four holiday cards designed by Amy Grant, Jane Seymour, Miley Cyrus and Dr. Phil McGraw, members of the American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet. The Red Cross will then send the printed holiday card to a military member, veteran or family.
The Red Cross and Pitney Bowes will screen cards for hazardous materials, sort and package the cards, and deliver them to military bases and hospitals, veteran’s hospitals and other locations in the U.S. and abroad during the holidays. Pitney Bowes is providing all screening, packaging and shipping at no charge, as well as providing thousands of volunteer hours around the country. The Red Cross will utilize volunteers at more than 200 participating chapters nationwide to sort and deliver greetings to military and veteran’s hospitals and military bases in December.