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.
For Operation Gratitude and our growing army of volunteers nationwide, the holiday spirit is in full swing this month as we celebrate Christmas in July! With the help of one million volunteers, our organization will continue to deliver care packages year-round as a physical representation of appreciation for our troops’ service and sacrifice.
May is Military Appreciation Month, and as both a veteran and a colleague to many members of the military, I believe it’s important to honor those who protect and serve our country and communities. Some might think this month is only for military families and their closest acquaintances, but I believe this month is for everyone.
On October 26, we celebrated the National Day of the Deployed. Operation Gratitude did what we always do to recognize those who are currently serving and those who have served in our military -- we took action. This October, we will assemble and deliver more than 26,000 Care Packages to veterans in all 50 states and DC. Many of these recipients will be isolated and homebound on Veterans Day. Just a few weeks later we will assemble and deliver our signature, Holiday Care Packages to 20,000 Deployed Troops around the world in the midst of a global pandemic.
I’ve heard it hundreds, if not thousands, of times since I started as the CEO of Operation Gratitude three years ago — handwritten letters are the most cherished items in our Care Packages. As a Marine who deployed to more than 50 countries -- from the first Gulf War in 1990 -1991 to my time in the Middle East during 2008 -- I can tell you nothing boosts morale while you are deployed more than receiving handwritten letters.
"I realized that my letter writing didn’t have to be complicated. It needed to be a piece of positivity. This pandemic has created so much loneliness. People just want a bit of human connection." - Jake Kelly
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.
For Operation Gratitude and our growing army of volunteers nationwide, the holiday spirit is in full swing this month as we celebrate Christmas in July! With the help of one million volunteers, our organization will continue to deliver care packages year-round as a physical representation of appreciation for our troops’ service and sacrifice.
May is Military Appreciation Month, and as both a veteran and a colleague to many members of the military, I believe it’s important to honor those who protect and serve our country and communities. Some might think this month is only for military families and their closest acquaintances, but I believe this month is for everyone.
On October 26, we celebrated the National Day of the Deployed. Operation Gratitude did what we always do to recognize those who are currently serving and those who have served in our military — we took action.
This October, we will assemble and deliver more than 26,000 Care Packages to veterans in all 50 states and DC. Many of these recipients will be isolated and homebound on Veterans Day. Just a few weeks later we will assemble and deliver our signature, Holiday Care Packages to 20,000 Deployed Troops around the world in the midst of a global pandemic.
I’ve heard it hundreds, if not thousands, of times since I started as the CEO of Operation Gratitude three years ago — handwritten letters are the most cherished items in our Care Packages. As a Marine who deployed to more than 50 countries — from the first Gulf War in 1990 -1991 to my time in the Middle East during 2008 — I can tell you nothing boosts morale while you are deployed more than receiving handwritten letters.
“I realized that my letter writing didn’t have to be complicated. It needed to be a piece of positivity. This pandemic has created so much loneliness. People just want a bit of human connection.” – Jake Kelly
Operation Gratitude is a tax-exempt public charity (federal tax ID #20-0103575).
All contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law.
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Copyright © 2022 Operation Gratitude |  Privacy Policy & Security | Sitemap
