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Operation Write Home

By Kyetra Belton June 30, 2011
Have you ever heard of Operation Write Home (OWH) or AnyHero Mail?  Maybe you have heard of programs but never really did the research to find out what they are.  Both are great ways to show our military that we care and that they are not forgotten while overseas protecting our country.  With Independence Day right around the corner, it seems the perfect time to tell you about both.

Operation Write Home is a organization that was started by one woman, Sandy, in 2007.  It quickly grew as card makers spread the news.  As of June 20, 2011, OWH has sent 1,042,276 cards!  They have women who are shippers and active bloggers. While that sounds like a lot, remember that we have a lot of military in need of cards.  They serve the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, National Guard, and deployed Coast Guard.  These cards are handcrafted, blank cards, that can be used to write letters home to their loved ones.  OWH's website can be found here.  There you can find the instructions on how to make your cards.  There are a few rules to follow but they are simple and make perfect sense.  The Card Guidelines can be found here.  Our military deserves awesome cards to write home on and OWH provides those and all of us can help.

For the children out there that want to help, there is AnyHero mail.  AnyHero mail is uplifting letters, cards, and artwork that are passed out to military members.  Many of these go to people who get very little or no mail and can really brighten a day. Information and guidelines on AnyHero mail can be found here.  The site even offers some creative ways to merge finely crafted cards and children's artwork like in this example.

So - get out those crafting supplies, check the Operation Home Website for inspiration, guidelines, and even card making challenges.  They also have a list of most needed themes, which changes throughout the year. And of course, have fun making a soldier smile!
If you do make a card or cards to send in, take a photo and send them into Macaroni Kid!  We would love to feature your hard work!  Just email the photo to jenniferj@macaronikid.com or tag it to our facebook page.