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Operation Gratitude is the nonprofit, volunteer-based organization that sends care packages and letters of support to U.S. Military deployed overseas. Its mission is to lift morale, put a smile on a service member's face and express the appreciation of the American people for the sacrifices of the men and women defending our freedom. To date, Operation Gratitude has sent over 545,000 care packages to individual Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines in hostile regions such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and onto Military ships all over the world.
After 9-11, founder Carolyn Blashek felt a passionate desire to help fight the war on terrorism. Although then a 46-year-old mother of two, her first thought was to join the Military. She quickly found out she was too old for duty and started volunteering at the military lounge in the Los Angeles airport. In March 2003, a soldier came into the office and broke down at her desk. He was on leave from a war zone for his mother's funeral, his wife had left him and his only child died as an infant--he had no one else in his life. "I'm going back over there; I don't think I'll make it back this time, but it really doesn’t matter because no one would even care” he told her. Right then Blashek realized that when bullets are flying, it's critical for troops to know that someone cares about them as an individual. That's when Operation Gratitude was born.
While most organizations ask people to support the troops by writing a check, Blashek wanted to provide a more personal and hands-on connection with our troops overseas. She started asking everyone she met if they knew a deployed service member needing extra TLC so she could send them care packages of snacks and entertainment items. Most importantly, each package would include letters of encouragement from appreciative citizens. Now, Blashek is contacted by leaders and commanders in the field who see the positive impact the Operation Gratitude care packages have on their troops in combat. This grassroots organization started at Blashek's dining room table, but now encompasses churches, schools, businesses and service groups all over the country donating items and writing letters to service members through Operation Gratitude. Since November 2003, Operation Gratitude has conducted its Assembly Drives in the California Army National Guard Armory in Van Nuys, California.
Operation Gratitude is a 501(c)(3) organization. All financial donations are tax-deductible and used to pay the costs of communications and shipping. The overall cost per package is $15; postage cost alone averages $11. All items included in the packages are donated and are valued at ~$125 per package. More than 300 major corporations have donated products for the packages as Corporate Sponsors (donations of at least 10,000 ite