Whenever the holidays roll around, people are constantly asking how they can give back. What better way to do this than by learning how to send soldiers Christmas cards. From writing the cards to finding a program to send your cards to, there are tips you should know when spreading holiday cheer this Christmas.
If someone you know just left for the military, or you want to show your gratitude for soldiers, you can buy letters or make them at home. Sending soldiers Christmas cards is a great activity for families, schools, or larger groups to do. This guide has a few tips for how to find a program to send letters and what to include in the letters. The most important tip is to be positive!
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- What to Say in a Letter to a Soldier
- What Not to Do When Sending Soldiers Letters
- Places That Send Letters to Soldiers
What to Say in a Letter to a Soldier
So, you have decided that you want to write a letter to a soldier, but you are not sure exactly what to say. Unless you know exactly who you are sending to, start with a generic greeting. These can be introductions that look like, “Dear Brave Soldier,” “Dear Soldier,” or “Dear Hero.” After that, feel free to wish them happy holidays. You can also tell them how thankful you are for what they do, and tell them a little bit about yourself. Tell them about what you are doing for the holidays, or tell them about your interests.
People often like to ask them questions. Depending on the program that you are sending through, you are able to leave contact information. This would be something like your address or your email. If you leave this information, there is a chance that they will respond to your letter and your questions. However, some of them may not want to do this, so don’t take it personally if they decide not to.
What Not to Do When Sending Soldiers Letters
Each organization varies on what rules they have for people that want to send soldiers letters. However, the following tips are general rules for what not to do when you send soldiers letters.
First, do not include glitter or confetti. This especially applies during the holidays if people are trying to be more festive with their cards. This extra decoration can cause problems with injuries or wounds and should not be sent. Some places also advise not sending food because it can perish.
The letters collected by organizations have to be sorted through. Because of this, it is important to send letters without envelopes. If they are in envelopes it takes too long to get sorted, and the process still takes a while to begin with. That being said, do not date your letters because they sometimes arrive later than expected. If you are sending the cards as Christmas or holiday cards try to send them out before the middle of December. It can take a while to go through the process and then get to its destination.
Places That Send Letters to Soldiers
Sending cards to soldiers during the holidays is very important. A lot of places actually take cards during the rest of the year as well. Remember, if you are sending a holiday card send early! Aim for sending them in October or November so that they are received in time. If you miss the holidays, you can still send cards. Make sure that they are made more generally, rather than for a specific time of the year. They can even be patriotic themed.
The drop-off location varies depending on the area where you live. However, general information for places that send letters to soldiers is included below.
Holidays for Heroes
Holidays for heroes is run by the American Red Cross. While it used to be named Holiday Mail for Heroes, it recently changed to Holidays for Heroes. However, the idea of the program is still the same.
If you choose to send your cards to Holidays for Heroes, contact the local Red Cross. There is no national national PO box to send to anymore, and where you send depends on location. This is also one of the few organizations that allows envelopes, however, they must be sealed. Otherwise, you should not send letters with envelopes. They also ask that people don’t put any contact information on the envelope or in the card.
Holidays for Heroes also specified a cut-off date for holiday cards last year. It could be predicted that it will be around December 8th because that was the date last year. However, for more updates and to find where you send your cards look at the American Red Cross website.
A Million Thanks
A Million Thanks is also an amazing program that has sent 9,125,482 letters so far to soldiers. People from all over are able to write cars, letters, and even email soldiers. When addressing the letters, you cannot specify someone that you want to send the letter to. They must be generally addressed. However, you can send multiple letters. They also let you include your address if you want to potentially to hear back from whoever you write to.
In order to see what drop-off location you bring your card to, you must view a list on their website. Along with this, they have sample letters that you can follow if you are still not sure about how your letter should look. Finally, the letters should be addressed as follows:
A Million Thanks
17853 Santiago Boulevard, #107-355
Villa Park, CA 92861
Soldier’s Angels
If you are looking for a program that allows you to send cards to a specific person, look no further. If you have sent a card with Soldier’s Angels before, you can choose who you want to send to. When sending through Soldier’s Angels you must register online with them. They also have a forum on their website for more information if you have additional questions.
Whichever program you decide on, your holiday card will definitely have an impact on whoever you are sending it to. Remember to stay positive in everything you are saying and stray away from controversial topics. Be thankful and be their friend. They will appreciate more than you could imagine.
