CALLING ALL PATRIOTS TO STAMP SOME SUPPORT!!!

Sereikastamper · 06-20-2004, 06:07 PM

UPDATE as of July 15th 2008

We are continuing to send cards on a regular basis!!! We are nearing TWENTY THREE THOUSAND CARDS if you can believe that??? My husband who is currently deployed says that the best mail is the mail from home even if it is sent from a complete stranger...just knowing there are people back home who are thinking of our deployed troops and wishing them well is a HUGE BRIGHT SPOT in his day!

All of the info in the Word Document is up to date with the current address to send cards to. Thank you for your interest and support. I as well as our troops THANK YOU!!!

The following is an email I received today, I felt you all would like to read it.

Ma'am my name is MSGT *****, I am deployed to ****** Afghanistan, I work for the Aerial Port Terminal where we process numerous armed forces members to different contingency locations, I came across a box of cards that your organization sent here, am happy to tell you that I distributed those cards at the passenger terminal to different soldiers from all services," for a moment they had a smile on their face" All though we're busy I didn't want to let your thoughts and support for our troops be unnoticed. Thank you for caring to you and the Stamp Your Heart Out Campaign Volunteers.

GOD BLESS YOU AND GOD BLESS THE USA

THANK YOU.
**** added to keep anonymity

December 21st 2007 UPDATE:
We have sent off nearly TWO THOUSAND CARDS THIS MONTH! The first batch went over early in the month and the second batch is going out today! That brings the total # of cards sent just over TWENTY ONE THOUSAND CARDS!!! Thank you all for your continued support of our troops, especially as they are so very far from home this holiday season....
SMILES~
Keri

Update: as of September 19, 2007
to date we have sent more than NINETEEN THOUSAND HANDMADE CARDS!!!
Check out the delivery man in uniform!.
More details & pics here.

Update....as or March 2007.
We are still sending cards. I have a batch going "down range" on the 3rd...and this time my hubby is hand delivering them!!!! WOOHOO! So I will send them with him and he will deliver them to the troops in combat!

Thank you for your continued support!

October 5th Update
Life has been hectic here, but I am finally home in SC and will be taking over the troops cards project!

Here is my new address

Keri Sereika
100 Foxfire Ct
Summerville, SC 29483

I really appreciate all of you sticking with me for the last year while I was not able to coordinate this project!!! You are all the BEST!!!

MARCH 13th 2006
The latest update!!! Gosh I forgot to update this post over the past FIVE MOTNHS!!!! We are still actively sending cards via Heather...THANKS HEATHER!!!! We are now upto almost 15000 cards! That is sooo wonderful and amazing!!! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ONGOING SUPPORT!!!! I really look forward to taking over the project come Sept when we are back in Charleston!!! Thanks again and as always, feel free to email me with any questions you may have!

As of July 7th I am having a friend Heather take over the handling and packaging of the cards to the troops! She has graciously agreed to take over this end of it for me while I am in Texas for this next year!

UPDATE AS OF September 28th 2005 ~ 12,323 cards sent!!!

When sending BLANK cards... EACH CARD & ENVELOPE must be in it's OWN BAGGIE and SEALED to protect the card...be sure the entire card front is VISIBLE so that the troops can see when they look through the cards what it is that they are choosing....
When sending WRITTEN CARDS TO THE TROOPS....leave the cards unsealed so that I can monitor what is being sent...believe it or not there are those who would spoil this type of thing by not following the guidelines

I do not send anything other than cards. I must admit I have been tempted to call the entire project to a halt because I am getting SO MANY cards that are not following the simple guidelines. It is not that the baggies are expensive, but MY TIME is of great demand being at home with two little ones, running my business and living my life. I am able to keep up with the sorting, counting, packaging, and shipping of the cards but when I have to take my precious quiet time while my boys are asleep to stuff them each into their own baggie, well lets just say this, IT SLOWS THE ENTIRE PROCESS DOWN... As happy as I am with the results of how many cards we are sending and knowing that we are touching the lives of the troops...I will not be able to continue the project if these few simple guidelines are met and followed.
Thanks to each person who has made this awesome project such a HUGE SUCCESS!!! Hats off to you!

We are begininng a whole new idea!!! Let's put forth a joined effort to send some support to our troops far from home!! Let's send cards of encouragement and support to let them know how much we love, appreciate and support them!!!!!! Anyone interested in making a soldier smile just by doing what you love and do anyway read on!!!
I would love to see this go BIG!!!!! HUGE EVEN!!!! SO GET ON BOARD AND LET'S DO SOMETHING FOR THOSE WHO DO FOR US EVERYDAY!!!!![ We plan on making this an ongoing thing...since I can just send something weekly or so!!! So GET THE CARDS COMING AND KEEP THEM COMING!!!!!

To all interested in participating in a combined effort to support our troops:
Our goal is to send encouragement and support to our troops far from home. How it will work- Make the cards, send to the address provided below, I, Keri, will then package the cards all together to be sent to our troops via the C-17 Cargo Planes that leave Charleston SC on a weekly basis if not more! (For those who want more info on all of this I will be working on a history / how it all started post soon.)

The following are some guidelines for the organized effort of sending our troops that are away from home some encouragement and support. There will be two ways you can participate.
One, send a card just letting them know how much your freedom means to you and how much you appreciate them and the job they do to provide that freedom for us.
Two, send a BLANK card that the soldiers can then send home to their family or friends. This will be a way for them to send something special to those they love since a hallmark store is not always ?just around the corner? from our troops.
Here are the guidelines for the two options.
TO SEND A CARD TO OUR TROOPS: Simply make a card, write a note and place in an envelope addressed to, ? Our Troops? ?A Soldier Far From Home? or anything else that you like as an anonymous soldier. Do not seal. (We need to be able to monitor these cards for prohibited materials as listed below.) Place those cards in ANOTHER ENVELOPE addressed to:
Keri Sereika
100 Foxfire Ct
Summerville, SC 29483

TO SEND A BLANK CARD: Simply make a card and LEAVE THE INSIDE BLANK. Place the card AND AN ENVELOPE into either a clear cello bag or a small sandwich size Ziploc baggie and then into an envelope and send to the above address. Be sure to include the envelope so that the troops can mail the card home to their loved ones here in the states.
Ok, now that the ?how tos? are done there are a few more guidelines that must be followed.
Don?t send political or offensive materials. No photos, bad language etc will be tolerated in the slightest!
Don?t send anything dangerous, explosive or breakable, I.e. Microscope slides would not be advised. These cards have a long way to got before they reach their final destination!
I am really looking forward to how this takes off. We have the potential to make a lonely soldier, serving far from home, SMILE. How great is that?
Thanks for your time and efforts~
Keri Lee Sereika
The attachment is so that you can print this out easily and have the address and guidelines easily accessable!!!!

joleenieweenie · 06-20-2004, 06:16 PM

Thank you so much Keri! Question: Is this going to be an ongoing thing? i.e.- If I host something in a couple of months where people make cards and send them to you will you be able to send them? My goal is to make and collect 1,000 cards.

Sereikastamper · 06-20-2004, 06:19 PM

Yes we are planning on making this an on going thing. Like I said at the begining I will be able to send things weekly. And it may be better if we do it that way so that there is a constant flow rather than a huge amount and then nothing for months! Daven even mentioned being able to put a counter on the webpage so that we can post how many cards have gone over...so we will see!! He is FULLY supporting of this and has had some great ideas of what to do to keep it going!!!
Can't wait to see what happens!
Keri Lee

Sereikastamper · 06-20-2004, 06:22 PM

Thanks for bringing that up! I just edited it so that it is stated very plainly! Good Eyes!

joleenieweenie · 06-20-2004, 06:22 PM

That's great! I am so excited to see where this goes. I really hope Daven can make a counter happen for this! What an awesome cause. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to help.

Thanks again!