Day 26: Candy for Our Troops

My husband's cousin, Casey, sent me the greatest idea just after Halloween. Send extra candy to the Troops! And who doesn't have extra candy after Halloween?! I looked it up immediately after getting her email and found an organization called Operation Gratitude  that sends care packages to the U.S. Military and they love to add some extra goodies in the care packages to the soldiers around the Holidays. I emailed some friends (thanks Jamie, Megan, Peggy and Leslie!) and was able to send 6.5 pounds of candy along with 10 kid drawn or heart felt thank you notes to them today for our Good Human Act. It is a great mission Operation Gratitude has undertaken and I am so happy to have learned about it and been able to participate. My kids loved making letters for the soldiers (all 3 of them made one) and giving their candy to people who help us so much. We are so thankful for the sacrifice soldiers and their families make to grant us all safety and peace of mind.

Here is a little more information on Operation Gratitude:

Their MISSION

Tens of thousands of American Service Members are deployed in hostile and remote regions of the world, including the Middle East, Afghanistan, and on ships throughout international waters. The physical conditions they must endure are difficult and they may be separated from loved ones for long periods of time.

Operation Gratitude seeks to lift morale and put smiles on faces by sending care packages addressed to individual Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines deployed in harm’s way, to their children left behind, and to Wounded Warriors recuperating in Transition Units.   Operation Gratitude care packages contain food, hygiene products, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation, all wrapped with good wishes of love and support.

Through Collection Drives, Letter Writing Campaigns and Donations of funds for shipping expenses, Operation Gratitude provides civilians anywhere in America a way to express their respect and appreciation to the men and women of the U.S. Military in an active, hands-on manner.

Operation Gratitude is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, volunteer-based corporation, funded entirely by private donations. For safety and security, the assembling of all packages occurs at the Army National Guard Armory in Van Nuys, California.

Wounded Warrior Care Package Program:

Operation Gratitude works with representatives at Military hospitals and Wounded Warrior Transition Units to provide care packages for Wounded Warriors/Veterans to let them know they are never forgotten.

Recognizing that Warriors when first injured are most concerned with the well-being of their comrades still on the frontlines, we also offer a service to send care packages to the wounded’s buddies.  Not only does this let the downrange troops know their wounded comrade is thinking about them, but most importantly, it helps the wounded feel they are still contributing to the mission and supporting their comrades.

Battalion Buddy Program:

In cooperation with Family Readiness Officers and battalion leaders nationwide, Operation Gratitude provides special stuffed toys – known as Battalion Buddies – to the sons and daughters of U.S. military personnel as their units prepare to deploy.

Our special “Battalion Buddy” care packages contain a large, cuddly stuffed animal, along with other special snacks and items. The Battalion Buddy packages are given to each child at their parent’s pre-deployment or farewell event so the child has something to hug while their Mommy or Daddy is away.

The Battalion Buddy Program is designed to serve and encourage the young children of deploying troops and offer them some degree of comfort while their parent is far away, serving their country.

Who We Serve:

Operation Gratitude sends packages to Wounded Warriors and deployed members of all Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and to units from all states and territories. While we will send at least 100,000 care packages per year, we know the recipients share with their comrades, so we project that at least 250,000 service members will be directly touched by our program annually. In addition, the impact of our program on morale is felt generally throughout the Military (2.7 million people) and by the loved ones of those who serve (several million more).