Volunteers with the American Red Cross Alabama Gulf Coast Chapter will be sorting through the holiday cards sent here through the Holiday Mail for Heroes program. The card sorting event will take place at 10:00am on Wednesday, December 14 at the office on Sage Avenue. These cards will be distributed to military service men and women, veterans, and their family members in our area next week. MEDIA NOTE: Please call Elizabeth Saunders if you would like to attend the card sorting event.

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 October 3 and December 9, the public was invited to send a “touch of home” through holiday cards that contain messages of cheer and appreciation. Pitney Bowes has screened the cards for hazardous materials, sorted and packaged the cards, and delivered them to Red Cross chapters across the country. Pitney Bowes is donating all screening, packaging, and shipping to the cause. The Red Cross is now mobilizing hundreds of volunteers to sort and box cards for delivery to service men and women, veterans, and family members this month.

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. Cards had to be postmarked no later than December 9; cards received after this date will be returned to senders.

Additional ways to become involved with the campaign include connecting with fellow card senders through Facebook at www.facebook.com/redcross and Twitter at www.twitter.com/redcross using the hashtag #holidaymail. Visit www.redcrossalcoast.org to learn more about the Alabama Gulf Coast Chapter Services to the Armed Forces.