WASHINGTON, Nov. 11, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In this
season of hope and giving, the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes
Inc. (NYSE: PBI) are teaming up to invite the public to "send a
touch of home" to U.S. service members and veterans across the
country and abroad through the Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign.
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Now in its fourth year, the Holiday Mail for Heroes program
gives Americans the opportunity to extend holiday greetings and
thanks to service members and veterans. Since 2007, the Red Cross
and Pitney Bowes have distributed three million cards to military
men and women, their families and veterans.
The public can also support military members, veterans and their
families this year by making an online donation at
www.redcross.org. Donors can then add a personal message to one of
four holiday cards designed by Amy
Grant, Jane Seymour,
Miley Cyrus and Dr. Phil McGraw, members of the American Red Cross
National Celebrity Cabinet. The Red Cross will then send the
printed holiday card on their behalf to a military member, veteran
or family.
For the second year in a row, contemporary music artist and
American Red Cross celebrity cabinet member Amy Grant is joining the campaign as
spokesperson. This year, Vince Gill
also joins Amy as a co-chair for the program.
"I'm so excited to be a part of the Holiday Mail for Heroes
program again," said Grant. "It's such a great, heartwarming way to
give thanks to the men and women who serve our country, especially
during the holiday season."
Grant will celebrate the campaign's official launch with the Red
Cross and Pitney Bowes at a Veterans
Day event in Washington,
where she will join military and public guests in signing holiday
cards for the program.
"This is the perfect time to let service members and veterans
know they are remembered and appreciated, especially since many
will be away from home or without loved ones during the holidays,"
said Sherri Brown, senior vice
president of Service to the Armed Forces at the American Red Cross.
"If we can help brighten their day, then we've done our job."
"Few can truly understand the tremendous sacrifice that our
military personnel and their families make every single day on the
nation's behalf," said Vicki O'Meara, executive vice president and
president of Pitney Bowes Management Services. "Now more than ever,
it is important for all Americans to seize the opportunity to say
'thank you.' We are thrilled to join with the American Red Cross to
help make that happen."
The public can participate in the campaign by sending holiday
cards with personal messages to:
Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD
20791-5456
Cards must be received no later than December 10. Please be sure to affix adequate
postage. Cards received after this date will be returned to
senders. For reasons of processing and safety, participants are
asked to refrain from sending "care packages," monetary gifts,
using glitter or including any inserts with the cards.
The Red Cross and Pitney Bowes will screen cards for hazardous
materials, sort and package the cards, and deliver them to military
bases and hospitals, veteran's hospitals and other locations in the
U.S. and abroad during the holidays. Pitney Bowes is providing all
screening, packaging and shipping at no charge, as well as
providing thousands of volunteer hours around the country. The Red
Cross will utilize volunteers at more than 200 participating
chapters nationwide to sort and deliver greetings to military and
veteran's hospitals and military bases in November and December.
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
and #HMFH or #holidaymail.
For more information and card requirements, please visit
www.redcross.org/holidaymail.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional
support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the
nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international
humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families.
The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government
agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the
American public to perform its mission. For more information,
please visit RedCross.org or join our blog at
http://blog.redcross.org.
About Pitney Bowes:
Celebrating its 90th year of innovation, Pitney Bowes
provides software, hardware and services that integrate physical
and digital communications channels. Long known for making its
customers more productive, Pitney Bowes is increasingly helping
other companies grow their business. Pitney Bowes is a $5.6 billion company and employs 33,000
worldwide. Pitney Bowes: Every connection is a new opportunity™.
www.pb.com
SOURCE American Red Cross