Letter Writing Guidelines - Supporting Our Troops One Care Package At A Time

Sep 1, 2026

Letter Writing Guidelines explaining how students and leaders can write uplifting, appropriate letters for service members included in For The Troops “We Care” packages. The guidelines specify addressing recipients as Freedom Fighters or American Heroes, using initials plus classroom number, avoiding children’s personal contact details, and avoiding glitter and envelopes. It also provides teacher/leader notes on stapling template cards to student letters and includes a sample message template and organization contact information.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatDOC

Pages3

Reading Time1 min

AccessFree to download

Letter Writing Guidelines

Requests for Security, Privacy, Safety, and Appropriateness

Additional Guidelines for Teachers/Leaders

Sample Note for Teachers/Leaders

Letter Writing Guidelines Dear Principal, Teacher, Scout Leader, Youth Group Leader, Friend: For The Troops® is an all-volunteer run 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that sends ‘We Care’ packages to our service men and women, filled with basic necessities. The only thing missing in these packages is a letter, card or hand-drawn picture, personally written from someone back home. We encourage you to have your students write letters to our Troops so that we may include one per care package. You might even have curriculum that requires children to write letters. This is a perfect fit – applying the standards of letter writing while communicating with an American Hero. If you are interested in having your students write letters, we have a couple of requests to maintain security, privacy, safety and appropriateness: Address the letter to: Freedom Fighter or American Hero rather than “Soldier” - not all service members are in the Army. Students should use initial of last name and also classroom number. No children’s personal phone numbers or other contact information. Letters should be uplifting and positive (rather than "I hope you don't get killed”). Kids can write about their pets, what sports, school subjects and activities they like or even about the weather. Or the children can ask what it is like where the Troops are serving. The weather? The landscape? Please, do not use glitter. Please do not use envelopes. These letters will be put in our care packages and not mailed as individual letters. Most of all, thank the Freedom Fighter or Brave Warrior for protecting our country and our Freedoms. We live safe and free because of these brave young men and women. Send your students’ letters to For The Troops at the P.O. Box listed below. Thank you in advance. We hope this is not just a one-time event, but rather an on-going project so that we may keep the letters going to our American Heroes. Your consideration of this project is appreciated. P.S. Also, if you know someone who is deployed…send an email to For The Troops at HYPERLINK "mailto:USA@ForTheTroops.us" USA@ForTheTroops.org with the service person’s name and address…and they will be sent a ‘We Care’ package! Supporting Our Troops One Care Package At A Time while encouraging others to respect, honor, and appreciate our Military For The TroopsP.O. Box 12Simi Valley, CA 93062 Headquarters: 2960 Cochran Street, Simi Valley CA 93065(805) 306-0830 HYPERLINK "http://www.ForTheTroops.us" www.ForTheTroops.org Email: USA@ForTheTroops.org Federal Tax ID #: 20-8099782, section 501(c)(3) Letter Writing Guidelines Additional Guidelines To Teachers/Leaders: On the next page, is a sample “template” of a card. Feel free to write your own note. Please staple one of your notes to the back of each letter a child writes, prior to delivering your letters to For The Troops. The template features 3 cards that you may personalize with your information. The areas on the template denoted by < > symbols are the places to insert your specific information. Once you have personalized your note, please print it out on bright colored paper so that the Troops see your note, cut out your note and attach one to the back of each letter. Please do not use envelopes. We put these in our care packages. Personalizing the cards and stapling them to the back of student letters will allow the service person to write in return, if time allows. Below is a sample of the text included in the template for your review. _______________________________________________________________ SAMPLE NOTE FOR TEACHERS/LEADERS PRINT ON BRIGHT COLOR PAPER SO THE TROOPS SEE IT –ATTACH TO BACK OF LETTERS Please personalize portions in RED Dear , If you have an opportunity to write back to our students, they would love to hear from you! Please send an email to me at < HYPERLINK "mailto:JaneDoe@yahoo.com" \t "_blank" JaneDoe@yahoo.com> or a letter

FAQs

How should students address the letters in this program?

Students should address the letter to “Freedom Fighter” or “American Hero” rather than “Soldier.” This is to ensure the message fits all service members.

What personal information must students avoid including?

Students should not include children’s personal phone numbers or other contact information. The letters are meant for inclusion in care packages, not direct individual correspondence.

What are teachers/leaders instructed to do with the letter cards?

Teachers/leaders should personalize the template, print notes on bright colored paper, cut them out, and staple one note to the back of each student letter before delivering them to For The Troops.

Sep 1, 2026

Upload by William