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Culture

The Canadian Forces Need Holiday Letters

Maia de Borja
Simi Bhangoo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Alberta chapter.

In a recent tweet, @CAFinUS, the official account for the Canadian Forces in the United States, kindly requested that Canadians write letters to our out-of-country troops. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, this is a great way to brighten someone’s day when they are away from home and their families. 

 

Don’t know what to write in your letter? Here are a few ideas!

 

  • Thank them for their service

  • Tell them how you are planning to spend your holiday season

  • Tell them about a recent event that you enjoyed or would have liked to attend

  • If you’re religious, you can include a prayer or a positive affirmation

  • Any other Christmas/holiday season greetings that you want to include

 

While it may seem nice to send over a few trinkets from their Canadian home, the forces request that written correspondence only contains letters or cards (so no gifts). What can take you as little as two minutes can brighten one of our soldier’s entire day.

 

You can send a letter to:

 

Any Canadian Armed Forces Member

PO Box 5004 Stn Forces

Belleville, ON

K8N 5W6

 

More things to note courtesy of the tweet:

  • You can specify a specific mission or region

  • Postage required

  • They should be received by December 9th

 

Whether it’s on your own, with your family, or with a group of friends, writing a letter or card to one of our Armed Forces Members just feels good. It’s also the least we can do for their service.

 

Find the link to the tweet here: https://twitter.com/CAFinUS/status/1196469769022693376

And more guidelines here: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/contact-us/write-troops/instructions-for-mailing-overseas.html#anc3

 

Maia de Borja

U Alberta '21

Maia (my-uh) is in her fourth year at the University of Alberta. She is working towards a Bachelor of Secondary Education with a major in English and minor in ESL. In her spare time you can find Maia studying with a chai latte close by, at the gym, at one of her three part time jobs,volunteering or exploring town with her boyfriend and friends (usually in the pursuit of good food!) You can follow her on Instagram at @maiadeborja
Simi Bhangoo

U Alberta '21

Simi is a senior at the University of Alberta studying Sociology and Religious Studies. She grew up in Houston Texas and lives by the saying “go big or go home”. She is currently Her Campus Ualberta's Editor in Chief and Campus Correspondent. School, volunteering, clubs, and work occupy most of her time. You can find her on Instagram at @simi.bhangoo.