Tag: Operation Gratitude

Tom Connolly’s Walk Across America

~ Jack Benton ~ Leave a comment

Please Donate if you can to this cause for my good friends at Operation Gratitude! Go Tom!!!

Operation Gratitude Blog

Tom Connolly Walks AmericaYou may have been following Tom Connolly, a devoted friend to Operation Gratitude who has been walking (yes, walking) across the country to raise money and awareness for our troops. For the past several years, he organized a wonderful comedy night fundraiser for us in Los Angeles, CA, but in 2015, Tom wanted to step up his game in a big way.

A really big way, actually…

That’s how Tom ConnollyTC Walks Americawas born!

Tom began his journey on April 25th at the Armory in Van Nuys where he officially kicked off his amazing adventure with a celebratory ribbon cutting ceremony in front of hundreds of Operation Gratitude volunteers.

He loaded up his gear and we sent him on his way…

Since that Saturday afternoon, Tom has trekked more than 2,000 miles in rain, sun, snow, sleet, and even a tornado scare! Nothing has stopped him and we are amazed by his incredible perseverance, spirit, and…

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9 Ways You Can Make a Service Member Smile from Wherever You Are

~ Jack Benton ~ Leave a comment

Always Happy to Assist Our Troops and My Great Friends at Operation Gratitude!🇺🇸

Operation Gratitude Blog

package

Operation Gratitude may be headquartered in the Los Angeles area, but you can help us make a difference regardless of where you live. Read below for ways you can put smiles on the faces of our troops and veterans from wherever you are!

1. Send Us Your Beanie Babies We put Beanie Babies and other small plush toys in the care packages we send to deployed troops. Read why we do this!

2. Organize a Collection Drive Our volunteers nationwide have generously devoted their time to running successful collection drives for Operation Gratitude using our wish list as a guide. Why not organize one in your community?

3. Recfirst deployment packageycle Your Old Cell or Smart Phone We’ve partnered with a company that will recycle your old cell or smart phone, or electronic device, in a way that is both environmentally responsible and beneficial to Operation Gratitude!

4. Get Crafty Our troops are…

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Loved one deployed?

~ Jack Benton ~ Leave a comment

Please Support Our Friends at Operation Gratitude! 😉 #SOT

Operation Gratitude Blog

Is your loved one deployed? We would be honored to send him/her one of our Operation Gratitude care packages! Please visit our website for more information: Request a Care Package

For units of five or more names at the same address, please use the Group Request Form.

QUESTIONS?Send an email to opgrat@aol.com. THANK YOU!

LovedOneDeployedPicWe love supporting the troops! We’re grateful for the support from people all across our wonderful country — people like Joe Mantegna! (THANK YOU, Joe!)

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Want to Make Someone’s Day? Sponsor a Care Package!

~ Jack Benton ~ 2 Comments

If you can help bring some of the goodness of Home to a Soldier, please contribute to my good friends at Operation Gratitude! Thank You!

Operation Gratitude Blog

Operation Slipper
May is Military Appreciation Month and to celebrate, we launched a new program to provide our supporters an opportunity to personally “Sponsor” Operation Gratitude Care Packages.

With your tax-deductible donation of $20, $30, $50, $75, $100, $250 or $500 or more, you can send special care packages to our Military, personalized with your name on a beautiful card inside the packages.

You can even receive your own gift(s) as a “Thank You” from Operation Gratitude.

What kind of difference will your financial donation make to Operation Avenger Deployment Photos - Batch 13 003Gratitude?

Read this letter written by a care package recipient to understand the impact you will have:

“I sit in my office in a land far away and am simply speechless at your kindness and generosity. It truly brings tears to my eyes that you all would take the time to send package after package to deployed troops around the world. Sometimes it’s hard…

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~ Jack Benton ~ Leave a comment

Another example of the great things my great friends at Operation Gratitude are doing! 🙂

Operation Gratitude Blog

In recognition of their sacrifiRB2ce and devotion, Operation Gratitude sends special greetings and appreciation to wives, mothers, daughters and sisters who are caring for their wounded warriors. Partnering with REDBOOK Magazine and several generous sponsors, including Yankee Candle, Old Navy, OPI, Hickory Farms, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, The Pampered Chef, Bath & Body Works — and many more — Operation  Gratitude’s “Care Packages for Care Givers” Program encourages these women to take care of and pamper themselves.

Recently, Operation Gratitude’s Director of Strategic Operations, John Adams, was interviewed about the Care Giver program:

And the packages are making a difference! From one grateful recipient:

Orlando VA1I was lucky enough to be a recipient of a Wounded Hero Care Giver package yesterday and in it was a pretty pink neck scarf with fringe.

I wanted to say thank you for such a nice gift and to let you know how good it feels to be appreciated.

I love…

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~ Jack Benton ~ 2 Comments

Congratulations to a GREAT Group!!

Operation Gratitude Blog

CelebrationWhat a GREAT day!  On Saturday, December 15, more than 2,000 Operation Gratitude Volunteers joined to celebrate two special events: The assembly and shipment of our 900,000th Care Package and the presentation of the custom built Orange County Chopper to the recipient of the800,000th Care Package.

Surrounded by family memJoe and Erikbers, cheering volunteers, and celebrity guests Urijah Faber2Faber (“The California Kid”-UFC), Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds), Erik Jon & SamuelEstrada (“Ponch” from CHiPs), and Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men),  a California National Guard Soldier accepted the motorcycle he first learned about in August when he received the Milestone package while deployed.

Spc. Samuel Mancilla, a motor transport operator sam 1assigned to the 1072nd Transportation Company, 378th CSSB, 10th Sustainment Brigade, who recently returned from Afghanistan, was visibly moved by the outpouring of respect and appreciation, and was thrilled to become the owner of the Chopper commissioned and…

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