Want to send a Holiday card to a recovering wounded warrior? Holiday Mail for Heroes

In years past, there was always an email that got forwarded again and again starting about this time of year, along the lines of sending a wounded warrior a Christmas/holiday card at Walter Reed Army Medical center, and addressing it to Any Wounded Soldier.

Even though Walter Reed Army Medical Center no longer Exists (the new hospital that opened up to replace it is known as Walter Reed National Military Medical Center )...I still saw that viral email come up again in my inbox last year.

Which just makes me sad, because holiday cards addressed and sent like that will Never find their way to a wounded warrior.

However, there IS a way to send a holiday card to a recovering wounded warrior...via the American Red Cross, and the program is called   HOLIDAY MAIL FOR HEROES

A quick recap of the guidelines:

Every card received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working around the country.

Please observe the following guidelines to ensure a quick reviewing process:

• Ensure that all cards are signed.
• Use generic salutations such as “Dear Service Member.” Cards addressed to specific individuals can not be delivered through this program.
• Only cards are being accepted. Do not send or include letters.
• 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.
• Please refrain from choosing cards with glitter or using loose glitter as it can aggravate health issues of ill and injured warriors.
• If you are mailing a large quantity of cards, please bundle them and place them in large mailing envelopes or flat rate postal shipping boxes. Each card does not need its own envelope, as envelopes will be removed from all cards before distribution.

All holiday greetings should be addressed and sent to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

The deadline for having cards to the P.O. Box is Friday, December 7th.
Holiday cards received after this date cannot be guaranteed delivery.
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So please, take a few moments to send an extra card (or more!) to Holiday Mail for Heroes, to remind our nations recovering servicemen and women that they are not forgotten!!

And Thank you! to the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes, for supporting our troops with this program!

 

 

US Postal Service Christmas Mailing Dates for Military Mail

from this USPS bulletin

2012 International and APO/FPO/DPO Christmas Mailing Dates

To ensure delivery of holiday cards and packages by December 25 to APO/FPO/DPO and international addresses over­seas, we suggest that mail be entered by the recommended mailing dates listed below. Beat the last-minute rush and take your mail to your U.S. Post Office^® by these suggested dates. And don’t forget you can print postage, labels, and Customs forms online 24/7 using Click-N-Ship^® service at www.usps.com/clicknship.

Remember, all mail addressed to military and diplomatic post offices overseas is subject to certain conditions or restric­tions regarding content, preparation, and handling. APO/FPO/DPO addresses generally require Customs forms. To see a table of active APO/FPO/DPO ZIP Codes™ and associated mailing restrictions, go to http://pe.usps.com and click Postal Bulletins in the blue sidebar. Go to the current issue and see the article “Overseas Military/Diplomatic Mail.”

APO/FPO/DPO Mail Addressed To	Express Mail® Military Service (EMMS)1	First-Class Mail® Letters/Cards	Priority Mail®	Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL)2	Space Available Mail (SAM)3	Parcel Post®
APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 090–092	Dec 17	Dec 10	Dec 10	Dec 3	Nov 26	Nov 13
APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIP 093	N/A	Dec 3	Dec 3	Nov 30	Nov 26	Nov 13
APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 094–098	Dec 17	Dec 10	Dec 10	Dec 3	Nov 26	Nov 13
APO/FPO/DPO AA ZIPs 340	Dec 17	Dec 10	Dec 10	Dec 3	Nov 26	Nov 13
APO/FPO/DPO AP ZIPs 962–966	Dec 17	Dec 10	Dec 10	Dec 3	Nov 26	Nov 13

1 EMMS is available to selected military/diplomatic post offices. Check with your local Post Office™ to determine if this service is available to your APO/FPO/DPO of address.

2 PAL is a service that provides air transportation for parcels on a space-available basis. It is available for Parcel Post items not exceeding 30 pounds in weight or 60 inches in length and girth combined. The applicable PAL fee must be paid in addition to the regular surface price for each addressed piece sent by PAL service.

3 SAM parcels are paid at Parcel Post prices with maximum weight and size limits of 15 pounds and 60 inches in length and girth combined. SAM parcels are first transported domestically by surface and then to overseas destinations by air on a space-available basis.