Operation Gratitude

Tomorrow is National Non-Profit Day!! Support Operation Gratitude by shopping our wish list, donating to send Care Packages, writing letters, or crafting a handmade item!! For more information check out our website https://bit.ly/3Pkm3QF

Shout out to all our amazing volunteers that came out to our last FOB Assembly! We are so grateful to all of you for spending your Saturday with us.

A huge thank you to all our amazing volunteers in San Antonio!! We would not be able to do what we do without you!

Charleston Volunteers!! We are coming together to thank our Veteran and First Responder heroes. Together, we will assemble 3,000 Care Packages for Veterans and 3,500 Care Packages for First Responders. On August 14th and 15th please register to join us in saying thank you on our website or using this link https://bit.ly/3zKguqK

On Purple Heart Day, we honor and remember the brave current and former service members who were wounded or killed in action while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Wishing the United States Coast Guard a very Happy Birthday today!

Meet Israel Gonzalez-Montoya, a proud military veteran who joined our nation's armed forces in 2002. During his service, he received not one but two Operation Gratitude Care Packages, filled with dominos, playing cards, and a Beanie Baby that quickly became a beloved mascot.
Receiving heartfelt letters in those packages reminded Israel he made the right choice to serve. After leaving the military, Israel began his career at Chubb North America , a world leader in insurance. While participating in Chubb’s Salute business roundtable, an employee group that supports active and former military members, Israel recognized the Operation Gratitude logo as he spoke with Alan Leach board chair of Operation Gratitude.
Last month, Israel came full circle by volunteering at Operation Gratitude's Forward Operating Base, along with members of Chubb Salute pictured here. We are so grateful to have him and Chubb Salute help support our mission to say “Thank You” to those who serve.

A huge thank you to all the amazing crafters who participated in our Red Scarf and Hat Challenge. A special thank you to the top 10 Debbie Carlsen, Denise Byrnes, Janice VanKleeck, Frances Buchnoff, Gertrude Noble, Jen Hurst, Davy Mauermann, Lynn Neill, Nancy Koestering, and Kandy Evans.

Thank you to Cigna for decorating 42 pillowcases to go to those who serve! In addition, they wrote 26 thank you cards! We appreciate your support of our mission!

A big round of applause for the amazing team from USB! Their help last week in putting together Care Packages was invaluable. You guys are true rockstars!!

Looking for a new way to craft and give back? Check out our new handmade with love program Slap Bracelets. By taking the time to jot a note of appreciation on these bracelets, you are providing those who serve with a tangible, lasting expression of your gratitude, and a symbol of the appreciation of grateful Americans everywhere.
Click the link or head to our website to learn more https://bit.ly/4ePLR2S

Slap Bracelets - Operation Gratitude Slap Bracelets – Wrap Our Heros in Gratitude No matter how old or young you may be, you can create a message of gratitude to our Military and First Responders […]

San Antonio Volunteers we have our next Assembly for you coming up on August 5th! We will be assembling 5,000 Care Packages for the newest Air Force and Space Force graduates at JBSA-Lackland. Sign up here https://bit.ly/4cIJ9uI or on our website!

A heartfelt THANK YOU to the amazing members of the LA5 Rotary Club! During your recent service event, you took the time to write letters to our heroes. Your words of encouragement and gratitude mean the world to those who serve our nation.

Every letter brings a smile, a boost of morale, and a reminder to our service members, veterans, and first responders that their sacrifices are appreciated and remembered.

A huge shout out to the incredible teens from USY on Wheels! They joined us as volunteers last week, impressing us with their dedication and energy. We were delighted with the exciting activities they engaged in.

A huge shoutout to Card for Kindness for their amazing donation of cards for our Greeting Card Program!!

Have you checked out our new Wish List yet??? Head to our website under collection drive or click this link https://bit.ly/3RVTRWC

San Diego Volunteers it's been a while since we have seen you, but we have an exciting event coming up! On August 19th and 20th, we will be assembling 5,000 Deployed Troop Care Packages for the USS George Washington. Sign up on our website or using this link https://bit.ly/4bRUh7n

Don't forget to bring all your family and friends!

We are excited to announce that Brennan Avants has joined Operation Gratitude as our Manager Corporate Events. He is based in Boerne, Texas.

Brennan joins our team after serving for over two years as a Program Coordinator with Operation Homefront supporting Texas and Oklahoma. Prior to that, he was the Disaster Services Program Manager for the American Red Cross serving Texas Hill Country and completed a 21-year career in the United States Army, retiring as a Blackhawk Helicopter Pilot in 2017. During his career in the Army, he completed two combat deployments to Iraq, one tour in Kuwait, as well as assignments in Germany, South Korea, Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama. His awards include the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with three service stars and the Sergeant Audie Murphy Award.
Brennan chose to continue his nonprofit career with Operation Gratitude because he “fell in love with the mission as a volunteer at local assembly events. I know firsthand the power of receiving mail and care packages while deployed. Mail calls every day was a huge boost to our morale and improved our quality of life in austere environments, far from home.”

We have a new Wish List!! Check out what fun items we are currently looking for, https://bit.ly/3RVTRWC use think link or go to our website under collection drive.

Shoutout to our incredible team of volunteers who joined us last Saturday! Your dedication empowers us to keep expressing our "Thank You" to those serving. You make a difference!

Today is RED Friday! We take time today to Remember Everyone Deployed and to think about our amazing recipients that we have been able to send Care Packages to.
Here is a message we received from one of them, “Just received today & we're so excited! Thank you! Operation Gratitude really made our day.”

Our First Responder Paracord Challenge is in full swing!! You have until July 25th to make as many thin blue line and thin red line paracord lanyards as possible. You can also make solid blue, red, or black for this challenge. Thank you all for the paracord lanyards you have already made! If you have any questions join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/OGInAction/ or send an email to [email protected] and we'll be happy to help!

Thank you so much to everyone who sent in paracord for our Red, White, and Blue Paracord Challenge! A super special shout out to our top 3 individuals and our top 3 groups!
Didn't win this challenge? We have another one happening right out! Check out our latest post for details.

Celebrating a day full of joy and sun with our Battalion Buddies! Thrilled to have gifted 30 of these cuddly companions to the children of our brave deployed military personnel.

We hope everyone has a safe and wonderful 4th of July!!!

Our 6th Annual First Responder Paracord Challenge begins today and runs through July 25th, 2024! We hope you'll join volunteers across the country to create as many thin blue line and thin red line paracord lanyards as you can! What are "thin line" lanyards? They are lanyards made from blue and black paracord to honor our police officers, or red and black to honor our firefighters. You are also welcome to make paracord lanyards in solid blue, red, or black for this challenge. If you have any questions join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/OGInAction/ or send an email to [email protected] and we'll be happy to help!

Celebrating an impressive legacy! A big Happy Birthday to our Coast Guard Auxiliary, safeguarding America's waterways since 1939. Your selfless service to our boating public is appreciated today and every day. Let's continue to sail on a safe course!