What have you been up to?” I asked at lunch with some former colleagues.
“Oh, I’ve been sending care packages to deployed troops,” said my friend Jean. “You know what surprised me? They ask for Christmas cards to send to their families.” Military exchanges, particularly in combat zones, didn’t sell cards.
A few of us were paper crafters and decided to get together to make cards. The first year, 2016, we made 550, which Jean sent to troops in the Middle East through the Any Soldier program. Last year, we sent almost 7,000! Our cards reached military personnel in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Syria.
Our original group not only still gathers to make cards; we also meet with churches, civic groups, sororities and other people who want to help deployed service members make the holiday season a little brighter for their loved ones. At our main event last year, we had more than 50 people making cards on one day.
You can pitch in! We take size A2 cards (4¼ inches by 5½ inches) with an envelope; no glitter is allowed, but twine, small ribbons and foil paper are fine. Send cards to Making Cards for Our Troops, 3123 Riva Road, Riva, MD 21140, Unit #74 by November 1, so they arrive in time for the service members to send them back home for the holidays. Reach out to cardsfortroops2398@gmail.com for more information.
Learn more about Someone Cares greeting cards!
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