Amidst the heat of the summer, an image of logs crackling in the fireplace and casting a glow on stockings hung above is probably the last thing to come to mind for most people. But for Operation Gratitude and our growing army of volunteers nationwide, the holiday spirit is always in our thoughts.

Small groups of volunteers including personnel from the Los Angeles North Army Recruiting Company, Los Angeles Police Department, local Marine Corps Poolees, the 195th Wing of the California Air National Guard, and of course, Operation Gratitude’s Blue Shirts gathered on separate days to help assemble 18,000 care packages being shipped to deployed troops.

In the midst of these unprecedented times, our family at Operation Gratitude found a way to adapt, evolve, and overcome adversity. Together, as a family, we continued to take action, impacting more than 325,000 Deployed Troops, Military Families, Veterans, and COVID-19 Frontline Responders in 35 states and Washington DC. 

I sat down to write this blog and share some reflections following two hectic and emotional weeks as the CEO...

What do you get when you combine 645 volunteers, thousands of handwritten Thank You letters and more than a quarter...