Each year, the American Red Cross provides assistance to more than 2 million service members and many of our nation’s 24 million veterans. They support military families, military and veterans hospitals and provide emergency communications across the globe. And once a year, they deliver holiday cards to veterans, military families and active-duty service members at hospitals and installations around the world. The cards and personal messages, sent by tens of thousands of Americans, provide a welcome “touch of home” for our troops during the holiday season.
Beginning this week, volunteers are helping to coordinate efforts for the American Red Cross here in Merrill by collecting cards for the “HOLIDAY MAIL FOR HEROES” program. The cards will be given to the Red Cross for Veterans and Service members. Baskets with cards for you to fill out are available at First Street Coffee Station, The Checkered Churn and The Fresh Boutique. You can write on the cards provided or use your own holiday cards and return them to one of these businesses and placing them in the collection envelope. All cards will be collected Dec. 4 and given to the Red Cross for distribution.
Please follow these guidelines for the cards: Address cards to “Dear Service Member.” Only cards are being accepted. Do not include letters, although a personal message can be included in the card. Do not include email or home addresses on the cards: the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships. Do not include inserts of any kind, including photos: these items will be removed during the reviewing process. Also, please refrain from choosing cards with glitter or using loose glitter as it can aggravate health issues of ill and injured warriors.
For more information, contact Jennifer Heitz at 715-351-0098.