Igniting A Patriotic Movement, One Card At A Time
Dr Laura Landerman-Garber introduces herself as a grandmother, mom, wife and psychotherapist. She neglects to mention she’s also a four-star mensch. Loosely translated, the Yiddish word is used to describe a soul who navigates the world with exceptional compassion, generosity and maybe a bit of magic. She really doesn’t need to tell anyone she’s a mensch, it’s easy to understand once you hear her story.
Laura’s life’s mission has become the stuff of legend. Without intending to, this unassuming Bubbè launched a global goodwill movement from her Thanksgiving table.
Sitting in a dental office waiting room, with a holiday-to-do-list a mile long, flipping through a random magazine, Dr. Landerman-Garber serendipitously read an article on the value of sending a greeting card to a Veteran. The simple idea spoke to the woman who’s always been “that kid” ever-eager to reach-out to lonely souls on a school playground, at college lunch-tables, or where ever she roams.
While setting her table for 12 family and friends, Laura remembered the article she read in the dental office and retrieved a long-forgotten stash of holiday cards from her basement. The plan was to invite her guests to write a few heartfelt messages to Veterans as fair-trade for Thanksgiving dinner. The small kindnesses were mailed to a few dozen service people unknown to the holiday-gobblers. Unexpectedly, the feel-good idea almost instantly took on a life of it’s own.
Within days, a special request arrived, “Could you send a card to a pal deployed on an aircraft carrier?” ”What about sending Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa cards to everyone onboard?”
Unaware an aircraft carrier was more than ‘a boat’, the doer of good-deeds soon realized she’d accepted a challenge to send 5,000 holiday cards to a floating city. Cold-calling resources like EverSource, WMUR-TV, Boy Scouts, school groups, even local pizzerias Laura explained the intention of launching a holiday writing campaign in support of our soldiers.
Without reservation, communal activism on behalf of our Warriors grew exponentially. The Landerman-Garber Thanksgiving table was transformed into a rapid-deployment command center by the mensch who grew up in Mr. Rodger’s Pittsburg neighborhood. Almost magically, 5,000 handwritten holiday cards were shipped to unknown Service-Members who would be spending the holidays away from home.
Dr. Laura, acknowledges the phrase “It takes a Village” is overused but says there’s no denying her little hometown of Hollis, New Hampshire heard the clarion call to remember our Service Men and Woman. Since 2017 her mission to send ” Holiday Cards 4 Our Military Challenge” has become a national campaign.
Featured on Kelly and Ryan, World News Tonight with David Muir, and The View, this non-profit, non-partisan gesture has touched the lives of countless troops around the world. Popular support has arrived from Florida Senator Ron DeSantis, the New England Patriots, and little kids eager to send love to a lonely heart.
With the help of New Hampshire Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen the Holiday Cards 4 Our Military Challenge campaign was read into the Congressional Record. Lt.Col JJ JohnsonUSAF of the Pentagon supports the writing campaign by providing secure base addresses for distribution of greeting cards.
In the calendar year 2024, Holiday Cards 4 Our Military Challenge has already collected 250,000 cards to be distributed to our troops around the globe. The goal is to double that number before the year ends.
This Memorial Day weekend Dr. Laura is asking you, your family and friends to partner with her to send a heartfelt, handwritten note to a member of our Armed Services.
Cards can be sent to:
Dr. Laura Landerman-Garber 5 Hutchings Dr. Suite 100 Unit 103 Hollis New Hampshire 03049
Visit the website www.militaryholidaycardchallenge.com for more details.