ARC delivers holiday greetings from the States

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Desiree Economides
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
KANTO PLAINS, Japan --  The American Red Cross at Yokota Air Base, Japan, brings holiday messages from the U.S. to service members here and at Camp Fuji, Japan.

More than 7,000 greeting cards were sent to the Yokota station this year to disseminate to service members through the Holiday Mail for Heroes program.

"Each year, we at the Red Cross have the privilege of supporting the military in many different ways," said Brittany Reynolds, Yokota ARC assistant station manager. "This is yet another way that the Red Cross can be a liaison between the military and people back home. It's important to let service members outside the U.S. know that they've not been forgotten all year -- especially around the holidays."

The cards, which took 76 volunteers and more than 228 hours to sort through, will be distributed to Yokota residents through their individual post office boxes.

Volunteers also hand-delivered cards to Marines stationed at Camp Fuji during one of their holiday events.

"They don't have a lot up there and they're so appreciative of what we do," said Joanne Russell, a Red Cross volunteer, who visited Camp Fuji. "Bringing a smile to somebody's face during the holidays, you feel like you're doing something good for somebody else. We get as much joy out of it as they do."