Add a Recovering Soldier To Your Christmas Card List

UPDATE! Today, I received a comment that this is basically a hoax. For security reasons, we may not send cards or packages to 'any' soldier. A name must be used. However, the Red Cross and Pitney Bowes have gotten together with an alternative to this. Please check out this information from Hoax slayer. I apologize, I have gotten pretty good at ferreting out hoaxes and urban legends, but this one didn't even strike me as odd.

Today, I received an email from my mom. It had such a great idea in it that I wanted to share it with you! I know there are many who send care packages to soldiers stationed overseas. I applaud you for doing this. The children and I have really enjoyed doing this as part of our 4-H club. And we will continue to do so on our own in the future.

But this note I just received remembers the soldiers who have come back home after being wounded and they are in recovery. Let's definitely not forget these brave men and women. So while you are fixing up your Christmas cards and packages, consider addressing some to the following:

A Recovering American soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue,NW
Washington ,D.C. 20307-5001

And remember, we all tend to think of these things at Christmas time, but the soldiers aren't just around at Christmas time. They would appreciate care packages and cards year around! Make a difference in hero's life! Send them a note today!

If you don't personally know of a soldier to send a package or card to, then you can check out the website AnySoldier.com. Prior to 2001, people could send packages marked 'Any Soldier' or 'Any Servicemember'. In 2001, this policy was banned so that such anonymous packages were no longer sent to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan (for obvious security reasons.)

With AnySoldier.com, you can pick a military contact who has agreed to pass out packages to soldiers who 'need it most'. So go to the website, pick a contact, put together your care package and let the contact figure out who to distribute it to.