[StBernard] Christmas cards for our military

[Westley Annis]

There was an email going around asking folks to send a card to "any wounded
soldier" care of Walter Reed Hospital.   On NBC Nightly news they said the
postal service can't deliver those.  Instead here were some suggestions they
had:

Holiday Cards to Wounded and Recovering Soldiers
Walter Reed Army Medical Center cannot accept packages, letters, and holiday
cards addressed to 'Any Wounded Soldier' or 'A Recovering American Soldier'.
The U.S. Postal Service is no longer accepting "Any Service Member" or "A
Recovering American Soldier" letters or packages. Mail to "Any Service
Member" that is deposited into a collection box will not be delivered.

However, through a unique partnership between the American Red Cross and
Pitney Bowes Inc., communities across America are invited to mail cards
along with personal messages of support to wounded service members at
military hospitals around the country.

With the support of the U.S. Department of Defense and Walter Reed Army
Medical Center, and with help from Pitney Bowes Government Solutions, the
American Red Cross will collect, review and distribute holiday greeting
cards to wounded military personnel. For security reasons, the Red Cross
will be able to accept only holiday cards but not packages. Red Cross
volunteers will receive and bundle the cards, which will be shipped by
Pitney Bowes Government Solutions. Then, Red Cross volunteers at the medical
facilities will distribute the cards throughout the holiday season.

Please address your holiday cards to:

We Support You During Your Recovery!
c/o American Red Cross
P.O. Box 419
Savage, MD 20763-0419

Be sure to affix adequate postage. Cards must be received no later than
December 27. Cards received after this date will be returned to the sender.
Again, senders are reminded that "care packages" are not part of the
program--send only cards and notes. Also, please refrain from using glitter
or any other inserts that would not be appropriate in a hospital
environment.

People who want to express their appreciation to American service members
may also consider making a donation to one of the more than 300 nonprofit
organizations dedicated to helping our troops and their families listed on
the "America Supports You" website, www.americasupportsyou.mil

Other organizations that offer means of showing your support for our troops
or assist wounded servicemembers and their families include:

http://www.usocares.org/

http://www4.army.mil/ocpa/tooursoldiers/

http://www.redcross.org

The outpouring of gratitude and encouragement from the general public,
corporate America and civic groups throughout the past year has been
incredible. Our Warriors in Transition are amazed at the thanks and support
they receive from their countrymen