Card Count Update

Again, a HUGE thank you to everyone who has sent in cards for the troops! I'm realizing I haven't posted the numbers for a couple of rounds, so here is an update.

In May we sent 815 cards, and in June we sent 1300. These numbers are down a bit from before, but the trend seems to be on the upswing again.

Thanks again to everyone who has participated. The troops currently in Iraq are facing a long deployment: when they went over, they were looking at 12 months, but in the meantime have been extended to 15 months. All Army troops headed over in the forseeable future have been told to expect at least a 15 month deployment. These men and women can use all the encouragement possible, so please keep the cards coming.

Please remember it makes our lives easier if you group cards according to theme, and label with the type of card and number of cards in each grouping. Thanks!

WOW, Another Great Round!!

We have had lots of cards pour in for this round, and I'm busy counting and packaging to send them on their way to the "big sand box". A huge thank you to everyone who has sent in cards. There are lots of Anniversary, Birthday, Thinking of You and many other occasions that will be extremely welcome by our troops!

A big thank you to those of you who are grouping your cards. It is a tremendous help to us when you group similar cards together (for example, all "thank you" cards, etc) and put a rubber band around them, with a note or sticky tab labeling them and telling how many there are. Even better is grouping them into zip lock bags, as many of you are doing. Thanks for making our job easier!

It's time to start thinking of the next round, as well. We're looking ahead to Rosh Hashanah and Grandparent's Day. In addition, for many of the troops currently serving, 9/11 was one of the big factors that prompted them to join the military. I know it was a huge factor for my husband. As Patriot Day approaches, let's inundate the troops with patriotic cards. "We Will Not Forget" is a good theme for these. Or how about "Thanks For Standing By Me" for a soldier to send to his or her sweetheart?

Thanks again for supporting our troops and their families! I know these cards provide a boost to morale and a great way for them to keep in touch with their loved ones back home.

2007 Cards for Soldiers Schedule

Welcome to the new C4S blog! We hope this will be a way for you to keep track of the activities of the Cards for Soldiers program, as well as a great way to tell your friends! Please link to us and spread the word!

Cards for Soldiers started with the Faculty and members of 123-Scrap. Come hang out with us, participate in a challenge or two, and gain boatloads of inspiration.

A great big thank you to everyone who has participated in sending handmade cards to the troops, and all who are interested in participating and showing support to our troops overseas. It truly does mean a lot to them to receive our handmade cards, and it means the world to their family to receive these cards from their soldier.

All cards should be A2 size (one half of an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet, folded in half), as we have envelopes donated for our program. Please remember to leave the cards blank on the inside, with a self-stick note from you (or your child) to the soldier if desired. (NOTE: If you are interested in donating envelopes, please e-mail cardsforsoldiers@gmail.com and let us know.)

General Occasion cards are ALWAYS welcome, including Birthday, Miss You, Thank You, etc. Seasonal themed cards are also always welcome (Summer, etc.)

The address is:
Cards for Soldiers
PO Box 802
Killeen, Texas 76540-0802

The schedule for our Cards for Soldiers program for the remainder of 2007 is:

ROUND 3: Cards should be received by April 15, 2007 (note: this deadline has been extended from the original date)
Mother's Day
Armed Forces Day

ROUND 4: Cards should be received by May 6, 2007
Father's Day
4th of July/Indpendence Day

ROUND 5: Cards should be received by June 15, 2007
General occasion cards

ROUND 6: Cards should be received by July 31, 2007
Patriot Day
Grandparent's Day
Rosh Hashanah

ROUND 7: Cards should be received by September 19, 2007
Halloween
Thanksgiving

ROUND 8: Cards should be received by October 14, 2007
Veteran's Day (please write a note to a soldier in each card)

ROUND 9: Cards should be received by November 6, 2007 (NOTE: due to the timing of holidays, this deadline comes up fairly soon after the previous deadline, so just be aware it might sneak up on you!)
Christmas
Hanukkah
Kwanzaa
New Years