Mail for Heroes program
PRINCETON — The Bureau County Chapter of the American Red Cross is joining the national organization in its annual Holiday Mail for Heroes program.
On Thursday, Lori Compton, director of the Bureau County chapter, said the Holiday Mail for Heroes program has been an outreach of the national organization for three years, but this is the first year for the local chapter to promote the outreach in Bureau County. Remembering our military members and veterans is an important thing to do, she said.
“It’s an honor for our community to help make the holidays special for these American heroes. Here in Bureau County, we have many people currently serving in the military and we have many veterans,” Compton said. “The Red Cross is very committed to our military and has been since it was formed.”
The Holiday Mail for Heroes cards will not be collected locally, but are to be sent to Holiday Mail for Heroes, P.O. Box 5456, Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456. Cards are to be received by Dec. 7. For reasons of processing and safety, people are asked to not send care packages, money, use glitter or include any inserts with the cards.
As before, the American Red Cross is partnering with Pitney Bowes Inc. to deliver the holiday cards to service members and their families and to veterans.
Once received, the cards will be screened for hazardous materials, sorted, packaged and delivered to military bases and hospitals, veteran hospitals and other selected locations. The Pitney Bowes company provides all screening, packing and shipping at no charge. The Red Cross will organize the needed volunteers to sort and box cards.
Compton said the American Red Cross is also promoting holiday giving to military families through the use of the 2009 American Red Cross Holiday Giving Catalog. Each purchase is a gift to the Red Cross, which in turn helps the Red Cross provide its services, including those to the military. Some of those gifts include phone cards, disaster comfort and first aid kits, and emergency supplies.
Compton said the gift-buyer can choose where he wants his gift to go. However, if the donations exceed the need in a particular area, the donation will then be used to help the Red Cross where the need is the greatest. Each gift item purchased through the catalog is tax-deductible. The 2009 Holiday Giving Catalog can be viewed on-line through the Red Cross Web site.
The American Red Cross receives no federal or state tax dollars, but is support through donations, which makes outreaches like the Gift Catalog even more important, Compton said. The local chapter also receives funds from the Bureau County United Way, which makes that fund-raising campaign a vital outreach into the county, she said.
In another fundraising effort, the local Red Cross chapter will have a holiday bake sale Dec. 4 and 5 at its Prouty Community Building office.
“The needs are great for the Red Cross to be able to provide its services,” Compton said. “Any size gift is very much appreciated.”
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