Do the Impossible

Last week Operation Gratitude was able to do the impossible. In the midst of a global pandemic, our team and our volunteers delivered care packages to 27,000 veterans in all 50 states and Washington DC. 

We did more than just deliver care packages — we went a step beyond saying “thank you for your service.” We honored those veterans and their service by serving them. We lifted their spirits and gave them hope. We connected with and touched the lives of thousands of veterans who were homebound and isolated. We expressed appreciation to thousands more who heard those five words for the very first time. As one Vietnam Veteran in Baltimore told us “I will remember this for the rest of my life.”

Sometimes I worry that I won’t find the right words to perfectly express the profound impact our volunteers are making with your actions. All I can share with them that, when I looked in the eyes of veterans of every generation last week and thanked them on behalf of one million Americans, I saw recognition that their service will never be forgotten. They were overwhelmed with the knowledge that grateful citizens everywhere appreciated the sacrifices they had made in service to our nation and took the time to serve them in a hands-on way and say “thank you.” To put it simply, their lives were changed forever with a simple act of kindness and gratitude.

Oftentimes, I also worry that the words I write won’t perfectly capture the critical importance of what we are doing right now as an organization with you. 

I was reminded the day after Veterans Day, when five U.S. Soldiers were killed in Egypt, just how important our mission is and why we must step up our efforts to forge strong bonds and build communities that support our men and women in uniform. All five of the Soldiers killed on November 12th left behind families who will be without them this holiday season and who will mourn their loss forever. 

Sometimes I think we are asking our men and women in uniform and their families to do the impossible, too. Our nation has been at war for 19 years, and more than 200,000 service members continue to deploy annually. Year after year, a growing majority of military families feel disconnected from their communities and misunderstood by their civilian neighbors. Despite this widening gap, tens of thousands of service members will still deploy away from their loved ones this holiday season.

This is why we will do the impossible again, and calling on our grassroots network of volunteers and supporters to help us lift the spirits of 20,000 deployed service members this holiday season. We are asking them to serve alongside us and make an impact on the lives of our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen deployed around the world during the holidays just like we did for "Christmas in July" and September 11th. We are asking them to take action and go beyond saying “thank you for your service.” 

As I write these words I realize this is what makes Operation Gratitude so special and like no other nonprofit in the country. We have demonstrated that every American, whether they wear a uniform or civilian clothes, wants to serve our country and they want to serve one another. This is our common bond, and this is exactly how we will bridge the civilian-military divide and build stronger, united communities that support those who serve and each other. 

At Operation Gratitude, we believe that this solidarity of service is the best way for our country and our service members and citizens to find common ground. Our shared passion for service is what unites us as Americans. Service is what will unite our country and our communities.

Given the current environment right now, you may think that is impossible. I promise you that it is, because have seen it firsthand at hundreds of community-wide service events that bring civilians, military, veterans, first responders and their families together. 

Bridging the civilian-military and larger civilian-service divide starts with a "thank you" that leads to a meaningful connection. It starts with you.