HeroBracelets™. About Operation Gratitude.

Operation Gratitude ( www.OperationGratitude.com ) is the California- based 501 (c) (3) non-profit, volunteer organization that sends care packages filled with snacks, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation addressed to individually named U.S. Service Members deployed in hostile regions such as Iraq and Afghanistan, and on Naval ships at sea.

Our mission is to lift morale, bring a smile to a service member's face and express to all our Armed Forces the appreciation and support of the American people.

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 receives the names of thousands of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines from commanders in the field who see the positive impact of care packages on their troops' morale.

The organization sends 100,000+ care packages every year during two major campaigns: A Patriotic Drive in the spring and a Holiday Drive in the winter. Each package contains donated product valued at ~$100 and costs the organization $11 to assemble and ship.

For safety and security, assembling of packages occurs at the Army National Guard armory in Van Nuys, California. Since its inception in 2003, Operation Gratitude has shipped more than 500,000 care packages to American Military deployed overseas.

Financial Donations can be made by Credit Card from the Operation Gratitude website or by check payable to Operation Gratitude and mailed to:

Operation Gratitude

16444 Refugio Road

Encino, CA 91436

Items and letters should be shipped to:

Operation Gratitude/California Army National Guard

17330 Victory Boulevard

Van Nuys, CA 91406

CONTACT: Carolyn Blashek

Email: OpGrat@gmail.com