WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (September 21, 2020) – Every year, the American Red Cross’ Holiday for Heroes campaign provides the community an opportunity to send messages of thanks and holiday cheer to veterans and military members.
These items and messages are graciously donated by the community and placed inside holiday stockings hand-sewn by volunteers. For more than 10 years, South Florida Red Cross volunteers have cut and sewn hundreds of stockings in what started in the Naples and Fort Myers area but has spread throughout the entire region.
The Red Cross, with lead partner Arthrex, Inc. and other sponsors will assemble and deliver these stuffed holiday stockings for military members and local area veterans who are away from their families during the holidays.
“I think this year more than ever we need to let our service members and veterans know how much we appreciate them,” said Heidi O’Sheehan, Service to the Armed Forces Director for the South Florida Red Cross. “Our service members are not only dealing with deployments to foreign lands and being away from home and family but now have the added worry of COVID on top of it. Our veterans in hospitals and nursing homes are also separated from loved ones, in many cases not being allowed any in-person visits. Just think of that service member or that veteran receiving this care package and messages of gratitude and support. I know it will mean the world to them, it’s the least we can do to say thank you for your service and sacrifice, we appreciate you and remember you.”
Last year, more than 1,000 stockings were delivered to soldiers serving overseas and veterans through the region. O’Sheehan received a letter from Becky LaPolice, the Regional Service to the Armed Forces Manager in Poland, sharing her appreciation and gratitude for the care packages.
“We received your shipment of Holiday stockings and we can’t thank you enough,” said LaPolice. “It really lifts the spirits of our deployed service members to receive these care packages and cards from home, especially the fact that people they don’t even know have taken the time and effort to remember them and show their support, we feel like a piece of home has been sent here to us. Please pass along our thanks to all of the volunteers and donors that help make this project happen.”
This year, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the usual drop-off locations have been transitioned to an online gift registry. Using the registry, the community can purchase requested items for direct shipment to the South Florida Red Cross distribution team.
The community can help support this campaign by purchasing some of the following items from the gift registry:
Purchases MUST be made by Friday, Oct. 30 from the Holiday for Heroes online gift registry.
To learn more about Holiday for Heroes, please visit redcross.org/holidayforheroes.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/southflorida and visit us on Facebook and Twitter at @SFLRedCross.
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