One by one, volunteers and staff members of the Red Cross ensured holiday greetings to service members and veterans were appropriate.
As part of the Holiday Mail for Heroes program, sponsored by Pitney Bowes, the Howard County Red Cross received approximately 1,500 holiday cards to be forwarded to service members, family and veterans.
“We make sure the cards are appropriate and make sure they don’t contain any personal contact information,” Mitch Figert, executive director, said Monday.
The local Red Cross has received cards for distribution from Florida, California, Iowa and Maryland.
“We’ll have them all sorted today,” he said. “We sort them by veterans, wounded veterans, servicemen and women by branch and family.”
Figert said this was the first year Howard County participated in helping to sort the cards.
Some of the cards will be provided to the local Blue Star Mothers chapter for distribution; some will be sent to Red Cross offices overseas.
“We did this earlier and none of the cards were negative,” Figert said. “They have all been positive.”
Many of the cards are handmade by children.
Volunteer Pat Rinehart would occasionally break out in laughter as she read the cards.
“It’s great to see what the kids have written and what they are feeling,” she said.
Ainsley Hall, 8, a student at Howard Elementary School, was helping her mother, Beth, Monday.
“I’m getting to help sort the cards,” Ainsley said. “These are going to soldiers. It’s fun to help.”
Ainsley said she made a card to send that simply stated, “Thank you for all you do.”
Beth Hall said the cards come in bundles of 50, while sorting through a stack of cards sent by a Girl Scout troop in Florida.
“We can handle it,” she said of the sorting.
Hall said boxes are being placed at several locations around Kokomo for cards to be placed for mailing.
“This is a good community,” she said.
• Ken de la Bastide is enterprise editor of the Kokomo Tribune. Contact him at ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com or 765-454-8580.
Local News
Related Photos
Discussion
Sorting mail for heroes
Local Red Cross prepares holiday cards for troops
- Local News
-
-
Remains may be grandmother of abducted girl
Noblesville police are trying to determine if the remains of a woman found Thursday along the Mississinewa River near Marion are those of missing Noblesville woman Dorothy Heard.
-
Students kick off Black History Month at IU Kokomo
“Hey, black child, be what you can be. Learn what you can learn. Do what you can do. And tomorrow, your nation will be what you want it to be.”
-
Council taking heat for proposal
The Miami County Council on Thursday got to hear from county employees who are disgruntled about proposed budget cuts that would reduce the county general fund by nearly $900,000.
-
County looks at health care options
With the city of Kokomo ending its relationship with Novia Health Care, Howard County officials are now discussing what move they will make.
-
KHS to implement new technology program
Starting next school year, the more than 500 freshmen enrolled at Kokomo High School will receive either a laptop computer or tablet device as part of a new technology program that school officials say will improve learning in the classroom.
-
Measles patient was at NFL event
East Coast fans who left the Super Bowl host city feeling good about Hoosier hospitality may have been exposed to something less welcome: The measles.
-
Outreach provides housing to the down-and-out
Dale Bliss tells the story of a man with no money, no job and two kids.
Without any way to pay for a hotel or rent an apartment, the man was living in a tent with his children at a reservoir near Kokomo. He told them it was a family camping trip.
-
Green tech lab opens in Kokomo
A California green technology company has opened a research and development lab in Kokomo and plans to hire as many as 35 people over the next few years, the business announced this week.
-
Main Street conference coming to Kokomo
Following up on its Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s 2011 Community of the Year award, Kokomo received another accolade this week.
-
Howard Co. jail reconfiguration a ‘short-term solution’
With the ever-increasing number of female prisoners at the Howard County jail, local officials are looking to implement a short-term solution instead of expanding the existing facility.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Remains may be grandmother of abducted girl
Denver's Largest-Ever Drug Bust Nets Dozens
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs
Expert: Removing LA School's Staff 'Appropriate'
Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames
LA School Reopens Amid Sex Abuse Scandal
$25B Settlement Reached Over Foreclosure Abuses
Pentagon: Allow Women Closer to Front Lines
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
