During the holidays, everyone wants to know that someone is thinking about them, and servicemembers are no different. That is why two Massachusetts natives, Emily Spencer and Lauren Eliopoulos, joined their nonprofits to gather holiday cards for soldiers and veterans.
Both women have personal ties to the Armed Forces and founded military-focused organizations to show their support of the troops. Every year since 2012, they have joined efforts to do something even more special. Spencer and Eliopoulos send out an annual request for holiday cards for the troops and veterans, according to Boston.com. This event is called Mission: Holiday Cards, and this year, the women received more cards than ever before.
"The fact that we've received cards from all 50 states and four countries, is insane," Spencer told CBS Boston.
A recent Facebook post from Eliopoulos' Hero Helpers of America page tallied the total number of cards up to 317,000. Boston.com reported that half of the cards will be distributed to the Fisher House medical facility in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, and the other half will be sent overseas to deployed soldiers.