As a licensed card designer, I am often given large amounts of samples of my recent card designs. That's always great, but after a while I find I have too many left over and no one to give them to anymore. Then there are the cards I buy in the store. Holidays. Everyday. Too many cards just sitting around going to waste.
I know that everyone buys cards and has left overs. It's nice to know you can put them to good use. But where?
A few years ago I found a great way to share these unused greeting cards by donating them to groups that send them to soldiers. It's such a simple idea and so meaningful. They use them to attach to gift baskets, in pen pal programs or just to send greetings and support to servicemen worldwide. That means that new unused greeting cards of many themes are often welcome. Many times these organizations have local groups will even pick the cards up or have a local drop off.
What about used greeting cards? Don't forget that St. Judes Greeting Card Program takes all of your used cards for any occasion and they create new ones!
Here is a list of soldier organizations worldwide:
Check with their website or call and see what their policy is.
American Citizens Encouraging Support
We provide a variety of troop support, from cards, letters, care packages, seeing them off and welcoming them home and much more.
A Million Thanks
A Million Thanks is a year-round campaign to show our appreciation to our U.S. Military Men and Women, past and present for their sacrifices, dedication, and service to our country through our letters, emails, cards, and prayers.
Caring Kids Cards
Caring Kids Cards (TM) makes and sends cards to the military in London, Germany, Bangkok, Moscow, Korea, Afghanistan and Iraq. Others are given to orphans, firefighters and police, and senior homes. Their goal is to give out over 10,000 cards, notebooks, school supplies, meals, or gifts by the time they are teenagers. If you make cards or have any questions email CaringKidsCards@live.com or visit www.facebook.com/CaringKidsCards.
Heartillery Group
Heartillery Group is a non-profit organization who's mission is to show support, love and gratitude to our troops overseas in simple ways. Heartillery Group collects cards from all over the world showing love and gratitude to help boost soldier spirits. We send cards to troops who are stationed throughout the globe.
Holiday Mail for Heroes Campaign (Christmas Letters)
Each year the American Red Cross provides assistance to more than 2 million service members and many of our nation’s 24 million veterans. We support military families, military and veterans hospitals and provide emergency communications across the globe. And once a year, we get the joy of delivering holiday cards to veterans, military families and active-duty service members at hospitals and installations around the world.
The cards and personal messages, sent by tens of thousands of Americans, provide a welcome “touch of home” for our troops during the holiday season.
Hugs for Soldiers
Our program is dedicated to offering comforts from home and brightening a Soldier’s day with a care package, card or letter of encouragement. Our “adopted” troops, who are deployed thousands of miles away from home, need to be reassured that America cares about them. We appreciate the great sacrifices they are making, and we will do all we can to boost their morale and lift their spirits during this difficult time. We have been supporting the troops since 2003.
Kidz 4 Troops
Kidz4Troops connects you directly to the men and women in our military. We take your words of encouragement and pass them along.
Letters to the Troops (Flags Across the Nation)
Parents, teachers, children and patriots of all ages, write letters and we will send them to our troops. Download the template - it's ok to reproduce.
- For children: color the American Flag and write your thoughts.
- For older children and adults: write letters about yourself, poetry, words of praise, words of wisdom, words of friendship.
Letters to Soldiers
Letters To Soldiers is a volunteer crew sending letters, care packages and support to our troops in Iraq. Your donation will help us ship what soldiers need most - messages from home. Help us send letters and packages, or organize letter-writing in your area!
Mail For Heroes American Red Cross
The 2015 Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign continues to be conducted in local communities across the U.S. There is no longer a national Holiday Mail for Heroes P.O. Box to which cards are sent. Local Red Cross offices will collect, sort, and distributing the holiday cards using an events-based approach in their local communities.
Military Moms in Action
Our mission is to reach out and touch the lives of as many U.S. soldiers with support and encouragement as we can. We do this by sending them boxes of goodies and letters "monthly" wherever they are around the world. We especially want to encourage those not receiving any or little support from home. We desire to lift them up giving them hope and the knowledge that someone cares.
Mollys Adopt A Sailor
Molly's Adopt a Sailor Project, a broad based, collaborative and community initiative to support deployed United States Military Personnel by way of cards, letters, and care packages filled with love, support, and necessities from home.
Operation Appreciation (Blue Star Families)
Write a card for a parent, spouse, child of a servicemember (or a veteran). This is your chance to let America's military community know how much you appreciate all that they have sacrificed in order to keep our country safe.
Operation Gratitude
Our troops tell us the most cherished items in the packages are the personal letters of appreciation from Americans. We welcome as many letters as you can provide. We accept letters year-round. It will only take 5 minutes out of your day to write a letter, but it will bring joy to our troops that will last a lifetime.
Operation Helping Hand/American Angels
Operation Helping Hand Afghanistan was started in 2004 and is made up of volunteer Mom's, Dad's Veterans, Friends and Active Duty service members through out the United States. We want to reassure all members of the armed Forces that they are not forgotten by procuring support through mail, emails and care boxes and displaying continuous Patriotic standards in our city, towns and communities.
Operation Post Card (Blue Star Moms)
There is nothing like a letter or postcard from the home front to let a Soldier, Sailor, Marine or Airman know that he or she is supported and their service is appreciated. Don't underestimate the value of your greeting!
Operation Tarjeta De Navidad (Esposas Militares Hispanas USA)
Sends cards and letters to deployed military personnel and to Hispanic military families!
Este projecto nos permite enviarle tarjetas de navidad a todos los miembros del grupo y a los esposos(as) de militares que esten desplegados "deploy", en training, companias, TDY y/o fuera de la casa, etc.
Si deseas recibir una tarjeta de navidad de nosotros o deseas que le enviemos una a algun militar que va a estar solito dirante la navidad, envianos tu direccion a janet.sanchez@esposasmilitareusa.org
Soldiers' Angels
The Cards Plus Team is dedicated to supporting service members, their families, and even Angels with encouraging or celebratory cards and notes. Cards can be requested for deployed soldiers for: birthday, encouragement, thinking of you/get well, anniversary, new baby, welcome home.
Tell Them Thanks
Our mission is to support our military heroes who are deployed abroad. We want every Soldier, Marine, Airman, Sailor and Guardsman to hear their names called at mail call. Our dedicated members “adopt” one or more servicemembers and then support them for the length of their deployment. Our members are required to send at least one letter a month, but many of them write more often and send care packages as well.
Treasure our Troops
Treasure Our Troops was started when the founders nephews were deployed to Afghanistan in January of 2009. Finding out that a lot of our soldiers have no one to write to them, send them care packages Treasure our Troops was formed! Our mission is to send as many care packages and written letters as possible to our deployed soldiers overseas as well as our wounded soldiers in the local hospitals.
