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Health & Wellness

Operation Gratitude

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At a glance

Category
Health & Wellness
How it's listed
Found in our own research. Its site was confirmed live and serving the military community on . That is a check that it exists, not a judgement that it is good.

About Operation Gratitude

Published by Operation Gratitude on their own website. Quoted here in full as they wrote it.

Handmade With Love Holiday Challenge: Join us in supporting deployed service members with handmade hats and scarves. Learn More →

About Us

Who We Are

Operation Gratitude sends care packages and provides volunteer opportunities to say thank you to deployed troops, veterans, and first responders.

Get Involved Who We Serve

4M+

Care Packages Sent

50+

States Reached

20+

Years of Service

100%

Volunteer-Powered

Our Mission

Saying Thank You to All Who Serve

Our mission is to say Thank You to our Military and First Responder communities, and to honor their service by creating opportunities for all Americans to express gratitude. We fulfill this mission by empowering communities, supporting local leaders, and preserving the stories that connect Americans with Service Members, Veterans, and First Responders through meaningful acts of appreciation.

Our Vision

A Nation United in Gratitude

We envision a nation where every person who serves, in the military, as a veteran, or as a first responder, feels the genuine appreciation of their fellow Americans, and where acts of gratitude strengthen the bonds between those who serve and those they protect.

Founded in 2003

Our Story

From a Moment to a Movement

Operation Gratitude began in 2003, when our founder, Carolyn Blashek, met a soldier who felt forgotten. From her living room, she mailed four Care Packages to deployed troops in Iraq. In the 20 years since, tens of thousands of Volunteers have delivered more than four million Care Packages, each one filled with donated products, handmade items, and heartfelt letters. These packages were more than supplies, they were tangible reminders that Americans care. Today, Operation Gratitude is one of the largest hands-on volunteer nonprofits in the country, demonstrating the power of grassroots participation in expressing national gratitude. We fulfill this mission by empowering communities, supporting local leaders, and preserving the stories that connect Americans with Service Members, Veterans, and First Responders through meaningful acts of appreciation.

The Heart of Our Mission

Inside Every Care Package

Each care package is carefully assembled by volunteers and contains items chosen to bring comfort, entertainment, and a tangible reminder that America cares.

Handwritten Letters

Personal notes from grateful Americans

Snacks & Treats

Comfort food from home

Hygiene Essentials

Personal care items for daily use

Entertainment

Books, games, and puzzles

What Guides Us

Our Core Values

These principles guide everything we do, from packing boxes to building communities.

Gratitude

Every action we take is rooted in thankfulness for those who serve and sacrifice.

Community

We believe in the power of bringing people together around a shared mission of service.

Honor

We treat every service member, veteran, and first responder with the dignity they've earned.

Connection

Our care packages bridge the gap between civilians and heroes, fostering lasting bonds.

Impact

Source: www.operationgratitude.com/about/who-we-are — read . Shown in part — their page continues beyond this. Their site is the authority; if it has changed since, it wins.

Our write-up

Operation Gratitude is in our directory because we went looking for resources in this category and confirmed theirs is real and serving this community. What you see above is their own description, quoted from their site. We have not yet added our own write-up — the programs, eligibility and military fit that we check ourselves — and we would rather leave that blank than guess at it.

In the meantime, their official site is the authority: www.operationgratitude.com

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For the organization

Are you Operation Gratitude?

This page was written about you, not by you. We built it because the people we serve were already looking for you and deserved a straight answer about what you do. If anything here is wrong, out of date, or puts it badly, we would rather hear it from you than leave it up.

Claiming it gives you an account here and a route to request changes — corrections, new programs, updated events. Those requests are handled by Meridian Tech, our partner, under their subscription service. You are not editing this page yourself, and we would rather say that plainly now than have you find out after you sign up.

“Claim this page” opens a checkout on milconnect.com, where you set up your organization's account. Being listed here is free, and staying listed is free. Meridian Tech — the company that also builds and runs MILCONNECT.AI — provides the account and the update service, and the AI Workspace is their paid product. We are telling you about a commercial relationship before you act on it rather than after, because you are a nonprofit being asked to spend money and you deserve to see the whole shape of it first. If anything on this page is simply wrong, email us and we will fix it for free; that never requires a subscription.

This page is maintained by MILCONNECT.AI and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authored by Operation Gratitude. It is a directory entry compiled from community recommendations. We do not rate, rank or endorse anything in this directory, and being listed here is not a recommendation — clinical or otherwise. We are not a medical provider and cannot tell you whether a program is right for you. Check eligibility, cost and current status with the organization directly before you rely on it.