The holidays are upon us, with 21 days until Thanksgiving and 50 until Christmas Day.

As you gear up for the decorating, cooking, present purchases and more, we'd like you to add a few more Christmas cards to the list.

We join U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, in urging Texans to participate in the American Red Cross's Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign.

This program allows cards addressed to "A Recovering Soldier" or "Any Soldier" to be routed in a safe manner to members of the armed forces and their families.

In the past, mail that was not addressed to a particular soldier could be sent directly to a military base or military hospital. However, security concerns now prohibit that practice.

The American Red Cross Program is working with Pitney Bowes Inc. for the third year to screen all mail sent to the Mail for Heroes P.O. Box address and assure those messages of care are distributed.

In 2008, more than 1.4 million cards were collected and distributed to service members, veterans and their families in the United States and abroad.

According to the Red Cross, "Every card received was first screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working in one of 17 sorting locations around the country."

The holidays can be a difficult time for troops — many who cannot be at home with their families for Christmas because they are stationed too far away or outside of the United States.

Others may be hospital-bound and facing not so cheery circumstances.

By sending cards to these men and women, we can thank them for their service to our country and let them know how much we care. It should take only minutes more for those who already have a Christmas card list to tackle.

Please consider participating in the Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign. Send cards between Monday and Nov. 17 to: Holiday Mail for Heroes, P.O. Box 5456, Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456.

For more information on this program, visit redcross.org/holidaymail.