When I look back at my journey over the past 3 years and 8 months as the CEO of Operation Gratitude, the one thing that sticks out the most are the hugs. They are etched in my memory forever — literally thousands of hugs at hundreds of service projects and community-building events — on too many trips, and in too many cities to count, from sea to shining sea.

They marveled at our unprecedented impact during a global pandemic saying, “You truly made a difference everywhere!” And yet again, Operation Gratitude will be everywhere, leading a reemergence of hands-on, in person volunteer opportunities across the country.

“Commit to one act of kindness this holiday season” requested the next first lady, Dr. Jill Biden, as she helped put together care packages through Operation Gratitude for U.S. troops overseas in Washington, DC. On December 10th, in her first in-person solo event since her husband, President-elect Joe Biden, Dr. Biden was joined by the nominee for Secretary of Defense, retired Gen. Lloyd Austin and his wife at the DC Armory. They helped fill the care packages with items lined up in a variety of boxes, which were sent off as a way to help spread holiday cheer.

"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