The holidays are right around the corner and it’s time to plan for “Holiday Cheer 2014”!

We’ll be serving out-patients at Walter Reed during this luncheon. They live on their own or with their caregivers in dorm-like rooms. Many are young, single, and do not have family living with them.

Not all are “combat wounded”, however they are at Walter Reed-Bethesda for medical reasons during active duty service. Our Holiday Cheer event and bi-monthly luncheons are a HUGE morale booster for them!

The event consists of a holiday meal, Christmas stockings, handwritten holiday and Christmas cards from across the USA, cookies baked by our local “Elfs” AND a whoooole lotta CHEER!

“Holiday Cheer 2014” will be on December 4th, 2014. Location: USO. Serving Time: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM  This event will be limited to 25 wounded, injured, or ill service members and their family members, first come, first served.

Would you like to be a Marine Moms-Bethesda Elf? Sponsor a stocking or send cards! Here’s how!

The final postmark deadline for the “Holiday Cheer” stocking sponsorships and cards is Monday, November 17, 2014.

~*~*~Stockings~*~*~

Stockings are made by Bayside Quilters of the Eastern Shore, Easton, Maryland!  Thank you, Ladies!

Shopping and stocking-stuffing is done by our local “Elfs”.

When you sponsor a stocking for $20.00, we’ll include a special note from you with the stocking!  We will also send you pictures of the stocking stuffers and the finished stocking with your name on it.

~*~*~”Holiday Cheer” Cards~*~*~

Cards will be given to ALL Service Branches.

This is a great project for Scouts, church or school groups, organizations, or with your family or co-workers.

Please follow our 6 Guidelines

1. NO glitter or anything that can fall off and get into open wounds.  They can cause secondary infections.  Cards that have glitter, or glue that dries and cracks and falls off, or little beads, etc., cannot be used.

2. No enclosures, please.

3. All cards are screened. Best to send them with no envelopes.

4. The cards will go to wounded, injured, and ill active duty service members and possibly Veterans. They are Stateside.  Wording is different for men and women deployed and those in the hospital stateside so please keep that in mind when writing a note.  If we feel a note is not appropriate, we will not use it.

5. For security reasons we do not pass on full names and addresses to either the recipient or the sender.  This is not a pen pal or care package program.

6. Please rubber band the same signatures together. This helps make sorting easier for us.  Example, 6 different people wrote cards and all of the cards are in one box or envelope.  Please bundle each individual’s cards separately from everyone else’s cards. Our “Elfs’ will love you for this!

More than one card may be mailed in a larger envelope or a box.

Final Postmark Deadline: Sunday, November 17, 2014

Checks or money orders should be made out to “Marine Moms Bethesda”. (NO cash, please!)

If you are sponsoring a stocking, please note in the memo line: “Holiday Cheer stocking sponsor”.

Mailing address for holiday cards or stocking sponsorships:

This event has closed.

 

Thank you for your consideration!

Hard to believe this will be our 8th Holiday Cheer event!  You can read about last year’s “Holiday Cheer at Mercy Hall” here:

https://marinemoms-bethesda.org/2013/12/holiday-cheer-at-mercy-hall-2013/

Questions?  Please contact Jane: Jane (at) MarineMoms-Bethesda (dot) org (remove spaces and use appropriate symbols.)