Holiday Mail for Heroes to Deliver Greetings to U.S. Military Members and Veterans

Holiday Mail for Heroes to Deliver Greetings to U.S. Military Members and
Veterans

American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes Team Up to Invite the Public to "Send a
Touch of Home" to Service Men and Women

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In this season of hope and
giving, the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes Inc. have joined forces again
to invite the public to "send a touch of home" to United States service
members and veterans across the country and abroad through the Holiday Mail
for Heroes campaign.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090108/RedCrossLOGO)

Now in its third year, the Holiday Mail for Heroes program provides Americans
with the opportunity to extend holiday greetings and thanks to service members
and veterans. Last year the program received more than 1.4 million cards for
military men and women, their families and veterans.

The public can participate in the campaign by sending holiday cards with
personal messages to a special post office box from Monday, November 2 through
Monday, December 7. The Red Cross and Pitney Bowes will then screen cards for
hazardous materials, sort and package the cards, and deliver them to 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 in November and December.

Joining the campaign this year as spokesperson is contemporary music artist
and American Red Cross celebrity cabinet member Amy Grant.

"I am honored and thrilled to be a part of the Holiday Mail for Heroes
program," says Grant. "The service that our military men and women provide
this country year-round is invaluable and I feel it is especially important to
give thanks for their sacrifices during the holiday season."

Grant will celebrate the campaign's official launch with the Red Cross and
Pitney Bowes at a Veteran's Day event in Washington where she will join
military and public guests in signing holiday cards for the program.

"The United States currently has 1.4 million active duty members, reservists
and guards serving within our borders and abroad. Additionally more than 24
million veterans have faithfully served our country in the past," notes Sherri
Brown, Sr. Vice President of Service to the Armed Forces at the American Red
Cross. "With increased chapter participation this year we hope to reach many
more service members and veterans who may be spending this holiday season away
from home or without loved ones," says Brown.

"The men and women who serve our country in uniform deserve our thanks every
single day, and sending just one card is all it takes to make a difference in
the life of one of our nation's heroes," said Jon Love, President of Pitney
Bowes Government Solutions. "We are honored to participate in this important
initiative again with the American Red Cross and look forward to helping the
public say happy holidays and thank you."

Holiday cards should be addressed and sent to:
Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Please be sure to affix adequate postage. Cards must be received no later
than December 7. Cards received after this date will be returned to senders.
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.

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 #holidaymail.

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

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.

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.

SOURCE American Red Cross

Renee Kelly of the American Red Cross, +1-202-303-5551; or Karen King of
Pitney Bowes PR, +1-203-351-6189, karen.king@pb.com