CONCORD — With many of our nation’s military deployed around the world, far away from family and friends, the New Hampshire Red Cross is urging Granite Staters to send them cards with words of encouragement, gratitude and cheer.

This is an opportunity for us to send a card, expressing our appreciation, “It just takes a moment to sign a card to share your appreciation for the sacrifices members of the military community make,” said Maria White, CEO of the New Hampshire Region. White said schoolchildren can make signing cards a class project. It can also be an individual or group effort by church groups, office workers and businesses.

White urged people to start sending those cards soon, because cards need to be mailed by Dec. 7.

“You say thanks, we’ll do the rest,” said White, who noted the campaign is just for cards. People are asked not to send “care packages” or money or to add glitter or any kind of inserts, which could cause problems for recipients in hospitals.

Generic salutations such as “Dear Service Member” are suggested and senders should not include email or home addresses on the cards because this not a pen pal project.

The cards will be handed out without envelopes, so if you are mailing a large number of cards, they can be bundled in a large envelope or flat rate postal shipping boxes.

White said the cards should be sent to: Holiday Mail for Heroes, P.O. Box 5456, Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456.

Pitney Bowes, which partners with the Red Cross on the Holiday Mail for Heroes project, receives cards at the special Holiday Mail post office box and screens them for hazardous materials. Pitney Bowes then packages and ships the cards, at no charge, and contributes thousand of volunteer hours at sites around the country.

Since the project began in 2006, the Red Cross and Pitney Bowes have received and distributed more than 4.7 million cards to members of the U.S. Armed Forces, veterans and their families.