Operation Gratitude was one of fifteen America Supports You grassroots organizations invited by President and Mrs. George W. Bush to a private meeting at the White House last Friday to discuss the importance of their work, and to thank them for their support of the military at home and abroad.

Operation Gratitude ( www.operationgratitude.com ) is the Encino, California non-profit, all-volunteer organization founded in March, 2003 that has shipped more than 111,000 care packages to service members deployed in the Middle East, Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay, Korea, as well as onto ships around the world. Operation Gratitude, together with the California Army National Guard, 746th Quartermaster Battalion, Van Nuys, seek to lift troops’ morale and put a smile on their faces by sending individually addressed care packages containing assorted food, toiletries, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation.

“It was an honor for me to be invited to the White House for this valuable meeting with President Bush,” said Carolyn Blashek, founder of the organization. “He recognized the significance of our work in maintaining the high morale of American men and women in uniform, and appreciated the enormous efforts of the thousands of Operation Gratitude volunteers and supporters across the country who contribute to our program

Operation Gratitude is now organizing its Third Annual Patriotic Drive to ship packages during May (Military Appreciation Month) and June to reach the troops for the 4th of July. The group expects to send at least 40,000 packages during this campaign. All items included in the care packages are donated by individuals and groups that conduct collection drives in their local communities, and by Corporate Friends and Sponsors that donate their products. Financial donations are used to pay for shipping expenses.

America Supports You is a worldwide outreach program, launched by the Department of Defense, to recognize citizens’ support for our military men and women and to communicate that support to members of our Armed Forces and their families at home and abroad.

Learn more...