Posted on 11/22/2009 1:52:40 PM PST by Dubya
(Excerpt) Read more at redcrosschat.org ...
Holiday Mail For Heroes is here again! This year, we are teaming up with our friends at Pitney Bowes for the third time to send holiday cards to service members, veterans, and their families. This is a great way to give back this holiday season - by sharing your kind words and thanks with those who have given a great deal to their country.
We will begin accepting cards on November 2nd. Send in your cards to the address below, and please read the guidelines carefully!
Holiday Mail For Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456
All cards must be received no later than Monday, December 7th. Cards received after this date will unfortunately be returned to the sender. This deadline ensures enough time to sort and distribute cards before the holidays.
After the mailbox closes, the cards we received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working around the country. Then, the cards are sent out to recipients in time for the holidays.
Take a tip from a postal worker: always place your complete return address on everything you mail. Without that information, if delivery can’t be made, undelivered mail goes to the Dead Letter Department where specialists attempt to find an address.
If you are mailing packages, include the delivery information on a separate sheet inside for both sender and recipient addresses. Packages routinely get crushed or punctured from multiple handling during processing.
Don’t ever put solid objects in paper envelopes. The contents will be crushed by automated machines and the envelope will be in shreds. Always use “Jiffy” type padded envelopes for solid objects.
Use good quality envelopes for your Christmas cards. Those $1 store envelopes are too thin and won’t stand up to the postal machinery.
If your envelope says “extra postage required” it means just that. Put an extra 44c stamp on it.
Mail early for all on your Christmas card list. Mail volume is picking up already.
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