Author Archives: Harry K. Jones

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Longfellow’s Lyrics Continue to Haunt

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How many times have you joined others to sing a Christmas carol in church or caroling through the neighborhood and really never thought about the actual words of the song or the fact that it may have a unique origin? Too many to count I’m sure.

Most Christmas carols are sung from memory dating back to our childhood. While there are dozens of favorites which re-emerge each holiday season, there is one, in particular, that is more than relevant in today’s chaotic world.

The lyrics certainly ring true even though they were written 146 years ago. Few people realize that “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” was actually a poem, consisting of seven stanzas, written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on Christmas Day in 1863. The Civil War was at its height, and the poet was in deep despair at the time. Two stanzas were later omitted as they contained references to the Civil War.

Hearing the Christmas bells chiming, he realized that God was great enough to overcome the world’s strife. When you hear the words today, you can’t help but wonder if they were written with our current-day mayhem in mind. Over the years this beautiful carol has been recorded by such notable voices as Elvis Presley, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Jimmie Rodgers, Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians, Ed Ames, Kate Smith, Frank Sinatra, Sarah McLachlan, Harry Belafonte, Johnny Cash, the Carpenters, Bing Crosby, and Bette Midler.

Read the words and marvel at their truth and wisdom as they apply to the world of today. Better yet, try to listen to an actual recording of this classic to enjoy the haunting melody as the words reveal a harsh reality which may very well live forever. This memorable carol combines lyrics and music powerful enough to bring a tear to any eye, a lump to any throat, and warmth to any heart.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The world shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Till, ringing, singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Develop Critical Thinking Skills

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So many times we have the potential to solve the problems and/or challenges which face us daily. We simply don’t tap that potential by taking just a moment to pause and consider our many options. It’s also important to realize that common sense can often be as creative and productive as a higher education. Here’s a perfect example:

Son Helps Father Plant Garden

An old man lived alone in the country. He wanted to plant a tomato garden, but it was difficult work and his only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man described the predicament in a letter to his son.

Dear Vincent,
I’m feeling bad. It looks like I won’t be able to put in my tomatoes this year. I’m just too old to be digging up a garden. I wish you were here to dig it for me.
Love, Dad

A few days later he received a letter from his son.

Dear Dad,
Sorry I’m not there to help, but whatever you do, don’t dig up that garden. That’s where I buried the BODIES.
Love, Vincent

At 4 a.m the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding a single body. They apologized to the old man and left. The same day the old man received another letter from his son.

Dear Dad,
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That’s the best I could do under the circumstances.
Love, Vinnie

Note: It’s amazing how a little critical thinking can not only solve a problem but eliminate manual labor in doing so!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Ultimate Gift Giving

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I recently had a very rare and unique opportunity which left me with mixed feelings … regret and warmth.

REGRET that I didn’t get involved with this organization and its work long ago and …

WARMTH from the experience itself, those I worked with and those who benefited from our efforts.

I was invited to visit a Habitat for Humanity site and ended up working a with phenomenal group of people who united to offer their experience, talent and high level of energy to provide a HOME for one of the many families struggling in these times of dire straights.

I’ve known about Habitat for Humanity since 1984 when President Jimmy Carter got involved with this tremendous effort. However, it first started back in 1976. Since that time, they have built 350,000 houses around the world, providing more than 1.75 million people in 3,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter.

I’ll provide a few more facts about this tremendous organization and tell you how you can get involved later in this article, but I’d like to tell you a little bit about what I witnessed during my experience.

First of all, it was COLD. After all, we are in the north, and it is winter. That meant nothing to this group of people I had the privilege to meet and work with. It was almost an added incentive to everyone as they worked to finish this house for a very special family in hopes of getting them into their new home by Christmas. Right now it looks as though they’re going to reach their goal with time to spare.

Secondly was the spirit which permeated that house and property. It was almost indescribable. Everyone involved appeared to be enjoying their work, happy to be there, chatting with others about their progress … you’d almost think they were on a payroll rather than volunteering their time and effort. It was indeed a joy to behold. This is the kind of spirit and determination that built this great country of ours. I witnessed teamwork, communication, progress, pride, and accomplishment by everyone involved. It didn’t appear to be work … no one seemed cold … everyone worked as though they were building their own home. I saw volunteers, both male and female, of all ages, creeds, and colors. The time flew by. Again, I was astonished. And to think that this is going on in every one of our 50 states as well as at least 90 other countries … and far too few people are aware of this tremendous opportunity.

If you’re interested in finding a project near your location or obtaining additional information simply visit Habitat for Humanity at http://www.habitat.org/ and use its search engine to find local affiliates. You’ll be glad you did.

Additional Data:

  • Habitat is not a giveaway program. In addition to a down payment and monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor (sweat equity) into building their Habitat house and the houses of others.
  • Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses alongside our homeowner (partner) families.
  • To accomplish these goals, they invite people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build houses together in partnership with families in need.
  • Volunteers work with future homeowners to build or renovate houses, which are then sold to partner families at no profit and financed with affordable loans, with no interest charged on the mortgage.
  • The homeowners’ monthly mortgage payments are used to build still more Habitat houses.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

The Best Gift? A True Friend!

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Every year television networks flood the airways with holiday movies. We can count on unlimited access to the majority of our Christmas favorites and we do so for good reason. Seeing these classics make us feel good—at a time when the entire country can use a “spirit boost”! I hesitate to guess how many times some of these wonderful “jewels” have been shown … A Christmas Carol, Miracle on 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life and so many others which never seem to grow old.

The same holds true for certain stories which make us feel good about the season, our loved ones, and ourselves. A good story never grows old, and that’s why we’re repeating this one again this year. It’s a story about a little boy who is obviously wise beyond his years. He receives a tremendous gift by giving joy and happiness to his best friend. This is a short Christmas story that should be shared with your children and/or grandchildren during this joyous season. You’ll all feel better after doing so.

Read the story together and then discuss the true Spirit of Christmas.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Authority Isn’t Everything!

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Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with leaders in a vast array of industries. It’s always intriguing to observe how leaders, both new and seasoned, respond to the possession of authority. I’ve seen just about every reaction you could expect to find.

Some leaders are wise enough to use their authority as just one of the many tools at their beck and call in achieving specific goals for their organization. Others allow authority to go right to their heads, flaunt it openly, alienate everyone involved, and, as a result, suffer profusely.

Here’s an age-old Generational Gem that illustrates the negative consequences of misusing the potent power of authority.

“Show Him Your Badge”

A DEA officer stops at a ranch in Texas and talks with an old rancher. He tells the rancher, “I need to inspect your ranch for illegally grown drugs.” The rancher says, “Okay, but do not go in that field over there,” as he points out the location.

The DEA officer verbally explodes saying, ” Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me.” Reaching into his rear pants pocket, he removes his badge and proudly displays it to the rancher. “See this badge? This badge means I am allowed to go wherever I wish … on any land. No questions asked or answers given. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand?”

The rancher nods politely, apologizes, and goes about his chores.

A short time later, the old rancher hears loud screams and sees the DEA officer running for his life, chased by the rancher’s big Santa Gertrudis bull ….

With every step the bull is gaining ground on the officer, and it seems likely that he’ll get gored before he reaches safety. The officer is clearly terrified. The rancher throws down his tools, runs to the fence and yells at the top of his lungs …

“Your badge. Show him your BADGE!”

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Culture Change a True Challenge

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Well, they’re at it again at GM (Government Motors). They’re grasping for straws as they’ve apparently tried everything else. They’re obviously running out of options.

The Board of Directions announced December 2 that they were accepting the resignation of new CEO Fritz Henderson. Polite translation means they dumped him and the reason readily emerged as they stated it was unhappy with the pace of the Detroit automaker’s turnaround since emerging from bankruptcy. Ed Whitacre, the company’s chairman, takes on the role of chief executive while GM searches for a new president and CEO.

The Associated Press created major headlines claiming that “New CEO Seeks Change in Culture at GM.” Apparently Whitacre, the former CEO of AT&T, Inc., announced that GM would be required to dump its stodgy hierarchical approach to decision making. He told employees that the bureaucracy needs to end, and they can take reasonable risks without the fear of being fired. “We want you to step up. We don’t want any bureaucracy. We’re not going to make it if you won’t take a risk.”

Personally, I think he’s right on the money. Who could possibly argue with that philosophy? However, I also think GM is a little late with this revelation. I’ve been doing supervisory training for this automotive giant on and off for the past 30 years and have grown to know the culture intimately. Trying to generate a culture change at this late date will be more challenging for GM than trying to turn around the proverbial battleship in a bathtub! While it looks great in print and sounds like a sound strategy, it should have been implemented decades ago. Bureaucracy is so embedded in this culture that it has become a way of life for GM leadership as well as the front-line employees who despise it!

Is there a lesson here for us? Absolutely! In today’s chaotic and unpredictable business environment, anyone who seeks survival, success and growth had better adapt an attitude and strategy of being much more open to the fine art of risk-taking. Those who can’t or choose not to will find themselves falling behind in no uncertain terms.

Can GM pull it off in these late stages? We can only hope so at this point for the remaining 266,000 employees who remain on the payroll for the time being.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Income Opportunity – This One’s Legit

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Talk about creative thinking. Here’s a prime example. How would you like to get paid anywhere from $300 to $900 a month for simply driving your own car to work, to church, to your kids’ soccer games or any of your other normal destinations? It’s happenings all over the country at this very moment.

Of course, you know there’s got to be a catch to such a sweet deal. However, this one is quite simple while, at the same time, can easily be a deal breaker. It is, in fact, a no-brainer. You’re either going to love it or hate it—jump at the opportunity or laugh at the suggestion of something that, to you, is out of the question.

There’s a special segment of the advertising industry today offering what they call “brand driver” promotions. They actually pay regular people to affix vinyl decals to their cars—decals that, at first glance, appear to be painted on the vehicle.

These decals are known as “auto wraps” and they typically consist of the logo of a particular company or brand. Or, the “wrap” may have a message, like the “Follow Me to Find Great Furniture Prices.”

This has been going on for more than 10 years but seems to be refined every year or so. For instance, initially, cars were leased, painted as needed and then offered to drivers along with a nice paycheck to be driven around town or on freeways.

This obviously was not very cost-effective so a new approach had to be devised. Soon they simplified things by merely offering to wrap a driver’s personal car with 3M vinyl decals which eliminated much of the previous hassle.

The only requirement is that a driver must log about 1,000 miles a month depending on the location of the car’s owner. Other factors considered include where you live, where you drive, the location of your commute, whether you have children, their ages, your favorite activities and what kinds of events you attend. Needs of the clients and their target audience are also factored into the decision.

Brand names such as Proctor & Gamble, Coke, Tang and Vault energy drink have adorned cars from coast to coast. They often request drivers who are stay-at-home moms, those who are active in their kids’ school, attend soccer games, church activities and other community events.

When you think about it, having your car “wrapped” can easily provide you with a monthly income that can easily cover your car payment, gas and oil, and any necessary maintenance to keep your car on the road—in short, you end up with a free car.

On the other hand, many people simply can’t picture themselves being seen behind the wheel of a car covered with corn flakes, tennis shoes or dog food. To each his own but you must admit this approach to advertising is cutting edge and certainly thinking out of the box!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

The Greatest Gift of All

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Well, it’s that time of year again. We seem to be caught up in this holiday whirlwind that will sweep us into the coming year before we know. There seems to be so much to get done in such a short period of time. I can’t help but feel that this continuous chaos overshadows the “reason for the season.” What I witness today is a far cry from the “Christmas Spirit” I remember as a child.

To add to this sad realization is the fact that 4 of my 9 grandchildren have arrived at that tender age where they may very well have doubts about the authenticity of “Jolly Old St. Nick.” They may also, for the first time, be experiencing a mental and emotional tug-of-war between the concept of focusing on “the birthday of Jesus” OR “Santa’s annual visit.” In previous years, they managed to deal with both glorious events with very little concern.

If you’re experiencing any of what I just described, you might want to consider a very unique and rewarding solution this year. While so many are involved with shopping, decorating, gift wrapping, errands, and parties, others strive to stay out of the weather, maintain warmth, seek a place to sleep, find warm clothing, and simply manage to find their next meal.

This year you have a wonderful opportunity to reveal and instill the True Spirit of Christmas into the minds and hearts of each and every member of your family. The impact on your children and/or grandchildren can and will be enormous and permanent. And the strategy is indeed simplistic.

This season, and there’s still plenty of opportunity, volunteer your time and energy to assist those who are less fortunate this year. In doing so, every member of your family will rediscover the true meaning of Christmas and create new traditions that will live on for many festive seasons to come.

What To Do

This time of the year, your choices are plentiful. Do a little research to make certain you find an event that will be meaningful for every member of your family. Sit around your dining room table and share the options you came up with. Discuss each one and have a family vote.

Listed below is just a sampling of the many events taking place this time of the year. Google your local city for “volunteer opportunities” or call a few of the organizations listed here.

Have your children search their closets and toy boxes to find things they can donate to your local toy drive. The U.S. Marines’ Toys for Tots and other similar programs are available everywhere.

Offer to shovel a driveway or sidewalk for an elderly neighbor or someone you know isn’t physically capable of doing it themselves.

Volunteer at the local homeless or drop in center. They often need help preparing/serving the meals, handing out gifts, decorating, organizing donations, singing, etc.

Help out at a children’s Christmas party. Many community associations or non-profit organizations put on a Christmas party or event for children. They often need volunteers to help with games, crafts, gift-wrapping, etc.

Volunteer at a local senior’s home or hospital. Everyone enjoys a visit during the holiday season and many people do not have family to come and see them. Have your family sing carols with the seniors, play a game, or just chat. The gift of time will mean a lot to them.

Simply go Christmas caroling in a neighborhood where you know there might be a good number of seniors. They would love to have you stop by. This used to be a normal event years ago. What happened to us? How did we get so busy? Why did we forget how good this felt for everyone involved? How do we bring it back?

If you run out of ideas, check with any of the following organizations in your area for further information. They’ll all be thrilled to hear your offer of assistance and you’ll be glad you did. If you have a small family, invite neighbors to join you or have your children invite friends from school. The more the merrier. And you’ll all enjoy The Greatest Gift of All.

  • VFW
  • Jaycees
  • Elks Club
  • Lions Club
  • Big Sisters
  • United Way
  • Eagles Club
  • Rotary Club
  • Food Banks
  • US Marines
  • Big Brothers
  • Social Services
  • Senior Centers
  • Salvation Army
  • Local Churches
  • Nursing Homes
  • YMCA / YWCA
  • American Legion
  • Rescue Missions
  • Meals on Wheels
  • Retirement Homes
  • Junior Achievement
  • Community Centers
  • American Red Cross
  • Knights of Columbus
  • Child Welfare Agency
  • Chamber of Commerce
  • Child & Family Services
  • Neighborhood Associations
  • Foster Grandparent Programs
  • Hospital Gift Shop Volunteers
  • Community Action Organizations

Read more:

10 things The Salvation Army will be doing this Christmas

Throughout the Christmas period, The Salvation Army will be:

  1. Visiting elderly people who are housebound and lonely at Christmas.
  2. Holding Christmas lunches for people who would otherwise be spending a miserable Christmas alone.
  3. Delivering hot food, sleeping bags and small Christmas gifts (such as socks and handkerchiefs) to homeless people.
  4. Giving shelter to homeless people and the chance of a fresh start in life.
  5. Delivering Christmas parcels of food and presents to housebound older people and others in need.
  6. Delivering toys to children from poorer families.
  7. Helping and supporting the emergency services when there is a major disaster, fire or accident.
  8. Delivering Christmas boxes to prisoners and their families as a message of hope and goodwill.
  9. Spreading the joy of Christmas at hospitals and elderly people’s homes with a Salvation Army band.
  10. Offering comfort and companionship to those who are lonely or distressed at Christmas time.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Determination Can Be the Key to Success

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Henry Ford was, indeed, a very unusual man. Volumes have been written about him both pro and con. However, there one’s particular story that makes a strong case for determination and persistence. In the early 1930s. Ford was determined to create a powerful single casting V-8 engine for his cars. This was something that experts worldwide said was impossible. One could easily surmise that these declarations were a driving force to achieve Ford’s unrealistic goal.

He called together his top engineering group, explained exactly what he wanted accompanied with a deadline. In a very short time, the chief engineer shared the group’s finding with Ford. It simply couldn’t be done. Ford voiced his disappointment and proceeded to fire the engineers involved.

He promptly hired a new group of engineers, explained his goal, shared the findings of the previous team, and sent them off with high expectations. The new team of engineers soon returned to share the identical findings of the first. It simply could not be done. Again, the esteemed automaker thanked the team for their efforts, voiced his dismay, and released them from their contracts.

Still determined, Henry hired a third group of engineers and proceeded to repeat the process of explaining his high expectations and conviction to reach them.

This group was a little more intense in evaluating the “big picture.” They reviewed the consequences given to the first two groups for failing to achieve Ford’s vision, reviewed the findings of both groups, developed new approaches and possibilities and in early 1932 introduced the first powerful single casting V-8 engine to an eager automotive industry and a large audience of intrigued car buyers.

The moral of this story is quite obvious. If not for the dogged perseverance of Henry Ford and the rare ability of the third engineering group to foresee their undeniable consequences should they fail their assigned task, we might still find ourselves sitting behind a 6 cylinder vehicle today.

Do you possess that dogged determination to achieve your chosen goals? It could make all the difference. The choice is yours!

Henry Ford was well-known for his common sense philosophy. He often said: “Whether you THINK YOU CAN or think you can’t, you’re right!”

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Your Holiday Assignment!

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I realize you’ll all be very busy with family and friends tomorrow feasting on fantastic food, watching football most of the day, and giving thanks for all of your wonderful blessings. Relax and enjoy every minute of this once-a-year traditional opportunity which some may take for granted.

I realize you may be busy on Friday as well as many of you will be hitting stores and malls starting at 3 a.m. in some places to take advantage of those many “Black Friday” specials for Christmas. Then you have the weekend trying to recover from the previous two days of chaos and turmoil! Take the entire weekend to enjoy more football, some basketball, and plenty of left-overs.

However, when the first of next week rolls around, pause for just a moment and appreciate how much you’ve enjoyed the past few days. Realize how fortunate you are to be surrounded by loved ones at this very special time of the year. Then think for just a moment about the 1.4 million men and women who are protecting us as we celebrate this treasured holiday season.

These Guardian Angels are scattered all over the planet … far from their families and loved ones and far from their homes. They are obviously out of our site—but far from out of our hearts and minds! PLEASE, take just a moment out of your busy schedule and read about this special program that provides us an opportunity to thank those who are risking their lives so that we may enjoy ours in a safe and secure country.

After tremendous success last year, the Holiday Mail for Heroes program is back again this year.

In this season of hope and giving the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes, Inc. have joined forces to invite Americans to “send a touch of home” to United States service members and veterans across the country and abroad. In its third year, the Holiday Mail for Heroes program is an opportunity to share joy and thanks with our service members throughout the holiday season by way of a greeting card.

Today, more than 1.4 million men and women serve in the U.S. armed forces and over 24 million veterans have served in the past. The holiday season is the perfect time to honor and extend a warm holiday greeting to those who’ve served and continue to do so.

How Holiday Mail works:

The American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes, Inc. have established an extensive process to ensure all cards sent to our service members are safe and arrive in time for the holidays. Holiday cards will be collected through a unique P.O. Box address from Monday, November 2 through Monday, December 7*.

This unique program makes it easy for all of us to say “Thanks!” and “We’re thinking of you!” to these brave Americans, particularly to the millions of soldiers who will be overseas and away from their families during the holidays.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Between now and the cut-off date of Monday, December 7th, you send a card to:
    Holiday Mail for Heroes
    P.O. Box 5456
    Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456
  2. Pitney Bowes screens the cards to make sure they’re safe (no hazardous materials) and forwards them to participating Red Cross chapters nationwide.
  3. The Red Cross sorts and reviews the cards, and distributes them to service members, their families and veterans

It’s so easy you could fit it in with your errands today!

They do have some basic rules:

  • Sign all cards.
  • Address them to “Dear Service Member, Family or Veteran.”
  • There’s a limit of 15 cards per person or 50 for a school class or business group.
  • Please bundle groups of cards in single, large envelopes.
  • To keep the program streamlined, safe and consistent, they ask that you NOT:
    • Send letters.
    • Include personal information such as home or email addresses.
    • Use glitter because it can aggravate the wounds of injured soldiers.
    • Include inserts of any kind—they’ll be removed in the screening process.

Taking part in this program will provide you and your family one of the greatest gifts you could possibly receive during this holiday season. At the same time you’ll be providing these very special men and women with a “little bit of home” at a time when they truly need it. Thank you so much, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and God Bless You one and all!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.