WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 2, 2009-- For the third year in a row, Pitney Bowes Inc. and the American Red Cross are collecting cards from the public to distribute to military service members, their families and veterans in the U.S. and overseas this holiday season. However, the December 7th deadline for postmarking and sending cards is approaching fast.

“December 7th might seem like an early deadline, but we are expecting a high volume of cards this year due to the positive response we have received so far from the public and we want to make sure greetings reach recipients around the world on time before the holidays,” said Jon Love, president of Pitney Bowes Government Solutions.

“We are thrilled to bring a touch of home to service members and veterans this holiday season,” said Sherri Brown, senior vice president of American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces. “Every day the Red Cross serves our military families and veterans, but the support of the American people has special meaning this time of the year.”

The public can participate in the campaign by addressing and sending holiday cards with personal messages of thanks to:

The Red Cross and Pitney Bowes will then screen cards for hazardous materials, sort and package the cards, and deliver them to hundreds of military bases and hospitals, veteran’s hospitals and other locations in the U.S. and abroad during the holidays. Pitney Bowes is providing all screening, packaging and shipping at no charge, as well as providing thousands of volunteer hours around the country. The Red Cross will utilize volunteers at over 300 participating chapters nationwide to sort and deliver greetings to military and veteran’s hospitals and military bases before the holidays.

Please be sure to affix adequate postage. For reasons of processing and safety, participants are asked to refrain from sending “care packages,” monetary gifts, using glitter or including any inserts with the cards. There is no need to include individual envelopes and postage for cards. Instead, groups of cards can be bundled and sent in single, large envelopes.

Additional ways to become involved with the campaign include connecting with fellow card senders through Facebook at www.facebook.com/redcross and Twitter at www.twitter.com/redcross and the #holidaymail hashtag.

For more information and card requirements, please visit www.redcross.org/holidaymail.

About Pitney Bowes:

Pitney Bowes is a $6.3 billion global technology leader whose products, services and solutions deliver value within the mailstream and beyond. Founded in 1920, our company’s 35,000 employees deliver technology, service and innovation to more than two million customers worldwide. For more information about Pitney Bowes, its products, services and solutions, visit www.pb.com.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit RedCross.org or join our blog at http://blog.RedCross.org.

Source: Pitney Bowes Inc.

Pitney Bowes PR
Karen King, 203-351-6189
karen.king@pb.com
or
Red Cross Public Affairs
Renee Kelly, 202-303-5551
KellyRe@usa.redcross.org