Red Cross helps spread cheer this holiday season

Marnell Dillingham, left, and Brandon Doty, American Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes Campaign volunteers, sort through holiday letters and cards at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Nov. 27, 2012. Forty-six volunteers helped sort through cards and letters that will be divided up and distributed to all units on base to be given to service members stationed at Misawa. (Courtesy photo)

Red Cross helps spread cheer this holiday season

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Garet Vannes, American Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes Campaign volunteer, glances at a card while sorting through holiday letters and cards for the Holiday Mail For Heroes Campaign at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Nov. 27, 2012. Over the last five years, the campaign has collected more than four million cards filled with messages of gratitude, encouragement and holiday greetings from the American public for members of the U.S. Armed Forces. (Courtesy photo)

Red Cross helps spread cheer this holiday season

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Juan Aragon, American Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes Campaign volunteer, displays a holiday card during the Holiday Mail for Heroes Campaign at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Nov. 27, 2012. The American Red Cross in Misawa received an estimated 8,000 cards in total. (Courtesy photo)

Red Cross helps spread cheer this holiday season

Published Nov. 29, 2012
By Airman 1st Class Kia Atkins
35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- The holiday season is the time of year that most people spend with their families, but being stationed so far from home may make that a little difficult. The American Red Cross, in efforts to spread a little holiday cheer, came up with a program called the Holiday Mail for Heroes Campaign.

"Over the last five years, the program has collected more than four million cards filled with messages of gratitude, encouragement, and holiday greetings from the American public for members of the U.S. Armed Forces," said Karen Jorgenson, American Red Cross station manager.

The American Red Cross office here at Misawa asked for volunteers starting Nov. 26, 2012 to help sort through letters and cards for the Holiday Mail for Heroes Campaign that would be distributed to service members around base.

"Our office received over 12 large boxes of cards, which we estimate is a total of 8,000 cards," said Jorgenson. "We had 46 volunteers come and help sort through the cards and now that all the cards are sorted, we're dividing these cards up to distribute them to all units on base, so they can get into the hands of all our service members stationed here."

The American Red Cross collects, screens, sorts and distributes holiday cards to American Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, veterans and military families in communities nationwide and around the world.