Collection has begun for the 2015 Holiday Mail for Heroes program, meaning that Americans who wish to send a holiday card to a service member can easily do so with the help of the Red Cross.

From today until Dec. 17, people can express their gratitude and best wishes for the holiday season to those who give the ultimate gift to their country. Service members, veterans and their families will receive cards across the country and around the world.

“It just takes a moment to sign a card to share your appreciation for the sacrifices members of the military community make,” said Deanna Liermann, Clinton and Highland County Red Cross Leadership Council chair. “You say thanks, and we’ll do the rest.”

The Red Cross invites the public to send messages of thanks and holiday cheer by dropping cards off cards at one of the following collection sites: Greenfield Public Library, Highland County District Library, The Times-Gazette, Leesburg Public Library, Lynchburg Public Library , and NCB.

Red Cross volunteers across the United States and on military installations overseas sort and deliver the cards throughout the holiday season. Holiday Mail for Heroes is a nationwide program and last year more than 1.8 million cards were distributed to the troops and their families as a part of the annual holiday campaign.

To ensure that cards are delivered in time for the holidays, they must be turned in by Dec. 17 so that the Red Cross can count the cards and ship them. Individuals are asked to refrain from sending letters, contact information, monetary donations, or any other kind of inserts with the cards and from using glitter.

For questions about the Holiday Mail for Heroes project, contact Kelley Robbins at [email protected]

The Red Cross also invites the public to share photos and videos of their card signing efforts or their holiday greeting for troops by using the hashtag #HolidayMail on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Vine accounts. The Red Cross will use the material on its social sites throughout the holiday season. The public also can connect with fellow card senders through Facebook.com/redcross and Twitter.com/redcross using the hashtag #holidaymail.

The Red Cross relies on the support of the American people to carry out its mission of service to the 2 million members of the U.S. Armed Forces, 24 million veterans and their families.

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, visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at@RedCross.

Information for this article was submitted by Kelley Robbins, former community relations coordinator for the Clinton and Highland County Red Cross.