Operation Gratitude Newsletter

[MORTARDUDE]

Care Packages sent through the end of March, 2004:

8035



"What kind of difference has it made? Our Commanders made it a point to visit every single battalion and brigade during the three days surrounding Christmas. In every location, I saw numerous Operation Gratitude packages. Every soldier received a personalized note, some holiday cheer, and some treats. And you know what? It wasn't the gifts or the cards or the notes that made such an impression...it was the realization that someone cared about our soldiers as individuals, understood the importance of their mission and appreciated their sacrifice." Brigadier General Mark P. Hertling, Assistant Division Commander, 1st Armored Division, Baghdad Iraq



OUR WORK CONTINUES!


Our Patriotic Drive will kick-off with another Support the Troops Rally throughout the Memorial Day weekend: May 29-30 at the Army National Guard Armory at 17330 Victory Boulevard, Van Nuys. We plan to assemble and ship at least 5,000 care packages.
We Need Your Help!
Volunteers: Please email palfonso48@yahoo.com to sign up for a shift.
Parents and Teachers: We need cards and letters from your children (and you!).
Financial Donors: Every penny donated is used to ship packages. The postage for each package averages $15--Please sponsor as many packages as you comfortably can. Donations can be made by check and mailed to Operation Gratitude at the address below or by Paypal through the Operation Gratitude website.
Product Donors: We need the following items:
THE FUN STUFF:
AT&T Global Pre-paid Cards; DVDs, CDs and Players; Puzzle and Game Books;
Disposable Cameras; New T-Shirts, Bandannas, Socks; Handheld Games, Novelties;
Battery Operated Fans, Personal Cooling Products (Bandannas with cooling crystals), Misty Mates; Packs of Stationary, Pens, New Paperback Books
FOOD (commercially packaged only please)
Powdered hot and cold drinks; Ready to Eat Tuna or Chicken Salad Packs; Breath Mints, Gum; Individually Packaged Snacks: Trail Mix, Jerky, Pringles, Dried Fruit, Cookies (especially Girl Scouts!), Nuts and Seeds; Energy, Power or Granola Bars; Cheese/Peanut Butter and Crackers; Tobacco Products
Necessities:
TRAVEL-SIZE ONLY: foot powder, nail clippers, sunscreen, tissues, lip-balm, lotions, anti-perspirant, toothpaste, individually packaged toothbrushes, baby wipes.

Please send all letters, checks and donations ASAP to:
Operation Gratitude
16444 Refugio Road
Encino, Ca 91436



SUPPORT FOR OUR WOUNDED


Thankfully, over one hundred thousand troops have redeployed or are returning home in the next few months. Sadly, several thousand are amputees or other wounded who will require long term convalescence in stateside hospitals. Operation Gratitude is committed to ensuring that these courageous men and women are not forgotten by sending special Care Packages directly to them. If your loved one or comrade is hospitalized, please contact us with their name and address and we will send a package immediately.







Once again, we acknowledge and thank our wonderful Friends of Operation Gratitude for their generosity and support this past year. Special thanks to AT&T , our first Corporate Sponsor. Not only did they donate 1,000 cards to us on the Wayne Brady Show, but AT&T has committed to give us 5,000 cards for our Patriotic Drive and another 5,000 cards for our 2004 Holiday Drive--an additional $75,000 donation!! We are deeply grateful for their kindness.



BUMPER STICKERS AVAILABLE!


Our Support the Troops--Operation Gratitude Bumper Stickers are now available. Make a donation of just $5.00 by check or Paypal and we will send your patriotic Bumper Sticker to display proudly! Be sure to get some for your friends, family and co-workers too!



WIN-WIN SHOPPING


Operation Gratitude is now an approved charity on the Ebay website. If it's time to clean out your house or garage, or you have excess inventories to unload, you can sell or auction those items on Ebay and designate any percentage of the proceeds as a tax deductible donation to Operation Gratitude. A Virtual Thrift Shop! Buyers--you too can support us by searching on Ebay for those items listed specifically to benefit Operation Gratitude.






As we observe the one year anniversary of the start of both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Gratitude, my heartfelt appreciation goes out to every one of you: To the courageous soldiers, marines, airmen and sailors all over the world that have sacrificed their freedom so that we can preserve ours; to their loved ones who have faced loneliness and anxiety with grace and dignity; to all the incredible civilian volunteers and Army National Guard soldiers of the 746th QM BN and 756th QM CO that sorted, packed, taped, labeled, filled out those awful customs forms, and lifted more than 8000 care packages; and to every donor of goods, services and financial support that enabled us to pursue our mission to lift morale and bring a smile to a service person's face.

Thank you everyone.
Love, Carolyn
p.s. A great way to support our efforts is by spreading the word. Please send this Newsletter to everyone on your email list. To ensure that all the graphics are sent, please copy and paste the entire Newsletter into a new email.

Carolyn Blashek, Operation Gratitude
www.opgratitude.com
cblashek@aol.com