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

June 19, 2015June 19, 2015 ~ Jack Benton ~ Leave a comment

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

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. Rec first deployment package ycle 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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December 19, 2012December 19, 2012 ~ Jack Benton ~ 2 Comments

Congratulations to a GREAT Group!!

Operation Gratitude Blog

What 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 members, cheering volunteers, and celebrity guests Urijah Faber (“The California Kid”-UFC), Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds), Erik Estrada (“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 assigned 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…