My grandson Bradley, who graduated from high school in June, has joined the Navy and is now in boot camp at Great Lakes, Illinois. In his honor (for the record, he's already sacrificed his wisdom teeth for his country), I want everyone to know about the Red Cross/Pitney Bowes effort to deliver one million pieces of mail to members of the military in time for the holidays.
Greeting cards and postcards must be postmarked by December 10. Signed but with no home or e-mail addresses included, they can be be sent to this address:
Holiday Mail for Heroes
P. O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456
Full information about the project is on the Red Cross's website, along with a video showing some of the activity last year, when 650,000 pieces of mail were delivered. Pitney Bowes' employees also came on board because the required process of sorting, searching, irradiating, etc. is labor- intensive. If you want to send more than one (go ahead; you know you want to), stuff 'em all into one big envelope and send it out to that Maryland address.
I got word about this project from my friend Jill Conner Browne, who, incidentally, has a new Sweet Potato Queens book coming out soon. (The title is... uh...something about thighs... with assets in the subtitle. And boy howdy are assets ever a topic of interest right now!) In a change from the customary release methods with Jill's books, this one will be available at independent bookstores BEFORE Christmas, so if you're looking for happy, hilarious lit for some chicks you know, hit up your neighborhood independent.
While you're there, grab a few holiday cards to send along to the folks in military hospitals and on bases across the country whose sacrifices involve far more than wisdom teeth. Bradley and I thank you.
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