While deployed to far-off lands or restricted to hospital beds, service members received proof Saturday that strangers care about them and appreciate their sacrifices.

Volunteers and employees of the American Red Cross of Joint Base Lewis-McChord spent the day collecting holiday greeting cards, signed with the good wishes of military families and veterans at the McChord Field Exchange.

Representatives of the JBLM Red Cross spent "Make a Difference Day" asking Exchange customers to sign holiday cards, which turned out to be an easy sell.

"It's great," said Tech Sgt. Richard Skumurski, Western Air Defense Sector. "We get to say thank you to all our (deployed service members). If we could trade places with them, we would."

The Red Cross offers many ways for community members to contribute, like blood drives and emergency messages for service members, said Deborah Gould, station chairperson for the JBLM chapter of the Red Cross. Since the program began in 2006, the Red Cross has helped distribute more than 4.7 million greetings cards worldwide.

"Last year, the station (JBLM) delivered more than 10,000 cards," said Jonathan Glen, assistant station manager, Red Cross JBLM.

Before the cards with signatures and upbeat messages are mailed to service members, they are screened for inappropriate personal information.

"All (people) have to do is see the service members' and veterans' faces and how much this really does affect them in a very positive way," Gould said.

She said the program is available to civic organizations, like family readiness groups, as much as it is for individuals to get involved.

Gould is also a volunteer at Madigan Army Medical Center. She interacts with hospitalized service members and veterans who don't have family members nearby, ensuring they receive greeting cards with acknowledgements they are in the thoughts of others.

"Christmas can sometimes be a lonely time of the year, and being away from family makes it even harder," Gould said. "This is a way for individuals and groups to show our military that they are not forgotten." "I think this is pretty cool," Savannah Teel, a military spouse and Air Force Reservist, said.

Teel also let her child sign a card.

Gould said though Saturday's "Make a Difference Day" was a single day, the opportunity to make a difference in a service member's life is still available. Cards will be distributed, signed and collected at the following places and times: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Olympia Mall; Nov. 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lacey Wal-Mart; Nov. 13, noon to 2 p.m. at the University of Washington-Tacoma campus.

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