Operation Gratitude is a non-profit organization that sends care packages to members of the military and first responder communities. The letter introduces Operation Gratitude to an editor and provides information about the organization, including an overview, volunteer opportunities, and materials about upcoming events. The editor is invited to use any of the materials and consider featuring Operation Gratitude in an upcoming issue of the magazine.

1. December 13, 2015
Lucy Beighle, Editor
Futures Magazine
3000 South Higgins, Suite 13
Missoula, Montana
Dear Ms. Beighle,
I am pleased to provide this brief information kit to introduce you to Operation Gratitude, a
nonprofit organization dedicated to lifting spirits and meeting the evolving needs of our military
and first responder communities.
This information kit provides an overview of our organization and promote information for
future volunteers. Our volunteers and donators make our goal to send over one million care
packages to service members a reality. Enclosed you will find:
 A backgrounder on Operation Gratitude
 A News Release for our annual Down and Dirty Dash 5&10k race
 An Organizational Feature disclosing information to seven frequently asked questions
 A Position Statement advocating unaddressed packages to veterans be sent through
Operation Gratitude
 A brochure providing visuals and an overview of our organization
Please feel free to use any of the materials above. I am confident upon reviewing them, you’ll
agree Operation Gratitude would be of interest to your subscribers. I believe a feature on the
veterans for your holiday editorial would interest your readers.
If you have questions on the contents of this kit, or would like to cover a feature regarding
Operation Gratitude in your magazine, please call me at 818-309-5512. I look forward to hearing
from you soon.
Sincerely,
Sarah Basta
Sarah Basta, Public Relations Contact Person
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
| Operation Gratitude P.O. Box 260257 | Encino, California 91426-0257 USA |
| Tel: 1-800-651-8031 | Web: www.operationgratitiude.com |

3. About Operation Gratitude
“Operation Gratitude seeks to lift spirits and meet the evolving needs of our military and first
responder communities, and provides volunteer opportunities for Americans to express their
appreciation to all who serve our nation.”
Operation Gratitude is a 501(C)(3) non-profit, volunteer-based corporation, fully funded through
private donations. In 2003 Carolyn Blasheck started Operation Gratitude to send individually
addressed care packages filled with donated items to personally thank veterans and active
military members for their services. Operation Gratitude is based at the California Army
National Guard Armory and has gained millions of volunteers and donors halfway around the
world.
Six months after the inception of Operation Gratitude, 650 soldiers received packages. By the
end of the first year the number had grown to 8,000, and today Operation Gratitude
sends150,000 care packages annually. In December of 2013, the one millionth care package was
sent.
There are many ways to give back to the veterans and active service members through Operation
Gratitude. Operation Gratitude utilizes volunteers at the California Army National Guard to fill
care packages with donations, send personal letters for deployed troops (including Veterans,
Wounded Warriors, and New Recruits), or organize fundraisers. Operation Gratitude is
supported by the Down & Dirty Obstacle 5k & 10k Race that takes place in Los Angeles, Miami,
Chicago, Philadelphia and more cities. For more information go to www.operationgratitiude.com
or call 1-800-651-8031.
####
Operation Gratitude P.O. Box 260257 | Encino, California 91426-0257 USA |
| Tel: 1-800-651-8031 | Web: www.operationgratitiude.com |

5. October 3, 2015
Media Contact: Ann Hamilton
1-800-651-8031
(Pelham Bay Park, New York) Operation Gratitude will host a Down and Dirty 5k and 10k
obstacle race on October 4, 2015 with races starting at 8a.m. Down and Dirty obstacle race, will
feature military-style obstacles, commanding climbs, wild water crossings, and mud pits.
Civilians, soldiers, and veterans will be racing through multiple obstacles to show support for
Operation Gratitude a nonprofit organization that sends care packages to military members.
Racers have two different course options of 5k or 10k, which includes more than 20 different
obstacles. Children ages 4-13 are eligible to race and dive through mud pits and tike-sized
obstacles in Paul Mitchells Adventure Kid obstacle race. Spectators can watch along the
sidelines for free.
In addition to the race, there will be individually sponsored activity booths. Also, a variety of
food trucks will be ready to serve racers and spectators.
The race on October 4, 2015 takes place at Pelham Bay Park, New York. Event coordinator and
media contact Ann Hamilton says, “Plan accordingly for traffic and parking because the first of
the 10k races begins at 8 a.m., and the Adventure kids race starts at 11:45 a.m.”
With an initial goal to raise $75,000, Operation Gratitude surpassed their goal and raised a total
of $200,000. The $200,000 were a combination of donations and racer registration fees. Carolyn
Blashek, founder and CEO of Operation Gratitude said, “I’m honored but not surprised that we
surpassed our fundraising goal. This is an operation gratitude – and an operation of so much
love.”
Michael Epstein partnered with Operation Gratitude to make the race possible. Epstein is the
President of Michael Epstein Sports Productions Inc., said, “It’s the least we can do for such a
tremendous organization and the military personnel we are so fortunate to stand behind.”
Atlanta and Sacramento are the last two cities on the Down and Dirty cross-country trek tour,
and online registration is still available for the remaining races.
For more information on races and event photos visit: www.downanddirtyobstaclerace.com.
# # #

6. News from
Operation Gratitude
Media contact: Carolyn Blashek, Founder & CEO
Carolyn@operationgratitude.com
October 18, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Operation Gratitude: Lifting Soldiers’ Spirits One Care Package at a Time
Dedicated volunteers and donators of Operation Gratitude, a nonprofit organization, send
thousand of care packages each year to service members. A care package can be sent for
a number of reasons, but one of the most important reasons is to lift spirits. Operation
Gratitude sends care packages filled with snacks, entertainment, hygiene, and hand-made
items, plus personal letters of appreciation to the US Military.
Operation Gratitude would not be rapidly approaching their two-millionth-care package
without the generous donations and the valuable time given by volunteers. “We
developed this amazing structure and organization of people and relationships that care
about our military,” Carolyn Blashek, founder and CEO of Operation Gratitude said. “We
are an avenue to express our nation's appreciation for our heroes in uniform.”
1.What is Operation Gratitude?
Operation Gratitude is a 501(C)(3) non-profit, volunteer-based corporation, fully funded
through private donations. Operation Gratitude sends care packages filled with
essentials, hand written letters, and paracord bracelets to New Recruits, Veterans, First
Responders, Wounded Warriors, Care Givers and to individually named U.S. Service
members deployed over seas.
2. Why was it started?
Many Americans enlisted soon after 9/11/2001, and Carolyn Blashek was one of those
Americans. She was unable to enlist because of age, but undeterred; she began
volunteering at the military lounge at LAX airport in Los Angeles. In 2003, she found
herself face-to-face and teary eyed with a soldier due to depart for a war zone in 30
minutes, distraught and breaking down. His mom had died, his wife had left him, and he
was still mourning the death of an infant child. “He needed to find a reason to survive,
and he didn’t have one,” she said. Blashek found volunteering in the LAX lounge
insufficient, and wanted to motivate soldiers to survive. She came across the idea to send
care packages to soldiers.

7. 3. How was Operation Gratitude started?
Blashek took the care package idea from how she used to send care packages to her
children when they were away at college. In March of 2003, Blashek sent four packages
to specific service members, and the care packages have been sent out everyday since
then.
4. How can I help?
You can volunteer to sort through donations and fill care packages at the Operation
Gratitude/California Army National Guard. Operation Gratitude welcomes volunteers’
ages 12 and older (ages 12-16 must have a responsible adult present).
5. What if I do not live in California and want to help?
There are many fun and creative ways to help Operation Gratitude! For instance, you can
write personal letters for Deployed Troops, Veterans, Wounded Warriors, and New
Recruits; knit or crochet scarves, beanies, paracord bracelets, or make financial donations
(production and shipping cost $15/package).
6. How successful is Operation Gratitude?
Operation Gratitude has gained recognition and substantial support in California, and
halfway across the world. Operation Gratitude has drawn celebrities and millions of
volunteers. In December of 2013, volunteers helped ship the one-millionth-care package.
Celebrities such as Leah Remini, Joe Mantegna, Kevyn Major Howard, Dodgers great Al
“The Bull” Ferrara, and radio host and author, Michael Reagan joined Operation
Gratitude to celebrate the one-millionth package. It took about 10 years to send one
million packages, and with continuous momentum, it could take just a few more years to
send the two-millionth package!
7. What can I donate?
We accept delivery of items year-round, but Halloween candy must be delivered by mid-
November. We also have a wish list on Amazon.com, so you can see exactly what we
need for our care packages! Contributions towards the cost of shipping packages over
seas are also greatly appreciated.
###
Operation Gratitude receives monetary support solely from donations, fund raising
events, and corporate sponsorships. The average cost of donated goods within a care
package is between $75-100 and costs Operation Gratitude $15 to assemble and ship. To
make a donation or learn more about Operation Gratitude, please visit
www.operationgratitude.com or contact Operation Gratitude information line at
800-651-8031.

8. Operation Gratitude Position Paper
Send Unaddressed Military Packages to
Veterans through Operation Gratitude
Carolyn Blashek, the Founder and CEO of Operation Gratitude said, “Since the Anthrax
postal scares of 2001, all military packages not addressed to a specific service member
are turned away.” NPR said, “Seven days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001,
anonymous letters laced with deadly anthrax spores began arriving at media companies
and congressional offices” (Minneapolis Star Tribune & CNN, 2001). As a result, service
members have not received letters and care packages if the sender does not provide the
postal service with a specific address. Operation Gratitude understands the postal
regulations and does not condone postal regulations set in 2001. We are advocating for
the Montana State Legislature to send an unaddressed package to a service member, if
Operation Gratitude sends the package.
Our Observations about Unaddressed Military
Packages to Service Members…
The postal regulations set in 2001 negatively affected Operation Gratitude care package
production. In March of 2003 when the Iraq war began, Blashek sent four packages with
the only four service members’ addresses (Asfar, R., 2014). Operation Gratitude works
around postal regulations with help from our website. Anyone can access our website and
request a group or individual package to send an American service member. Operation
Gratitude’s volunteers and donators made it possible to send one million care packages
over seas, and are rapidly approaching two million sent care packages.
…sending care packages
Sending a care package shows the
receiver of the
package that
the sender
cares.
Operation Gratitude hopes to boost
morale and to lift service
members spirits in time of
war.
Position Paper #1
Unaddressed Military Packages to
Service Members
Promulgated October 2015 by Sarah
Basta, Public Relations Contact Person
Other position papers available online at
www.operationgratitude.com

9. • Postal regulations will not slow
or diminish Operation
Gratitude’s efforts to send these
care packages.
• We respect the postal regulation
after the Anthrax scare.
• We hope the Montana State
Legislature will send
unaddressed Operation Gratitude
packages to service members.
…concern for service members
privacy
Postal regulations mandate an address
for all packages and letters. However,
we are provided with addresses for
service members and follow these
guidelines on privacy:
• We do not sell or distribute
service members’ addresses.
• We receive addresses from our
online request form, which are
completed by civilians who wish
to send a package via Operation
Gratitude.
• Our website displays the
following security measures, but
are not limited to, industry-
standard Secure Socket Layer
(SSL) technology, firewalls, and
internal policies to maintain the
security of stored data (Operation
Gratitude Privacy Policy).
…sending a care package makes a
difference
Sending a care package to anyone can
easily make a difference, but especially
for service members without loved ones
back home.
• A care package can combat
depression. For example, we
received a letter from an
anonymous deployed soldier who
wrote about the following: he
was recently deployed, his
comrades received care packages
but since the anonymous soldier
did not have loved ones at home,
he never received care packages
like his comrades. He fell into a
deep depression, until he
received a care package from
Operation Gratitude (Operation
Graititude Blog, 2012).
• Adrien Starks, chief of civic
outreach for the Department of
Defense said, “Care packages are
beneficial for deployed troops
any time of year, but during the
holidays they can be “critical for
morale,” (New York Times,
2009).
Our Response…
With the postal regulations on
packages and letters, we will
never stop sending service
members their deserved care
packages filled with donations.
We simply want to send a
personal “thank you” to all
service members, which is
possible from donations and
volunteers. We respect soldier’s
privacy and will send care
packages to service members
addresses that we have been
given.
Our Recommendations…
Operation Gratitude believes
the Montana Legislature should
set an example for other states by
respecting soldier’s privacy and
send the packages from
Operation Gratitude to listed
service members.

10. References
A Care Package Saves a Life...Again. (2012, May 21). Retrieved from
https://opgrat.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/a-care-package-saves-a-life-again/ ,
October 31, 2015.
Asfar, R. (2014, December 26). Carolyn Blashek, Founder of Operation Gratitude.
Retrieved from https://www.veteransadvantage.com/va/vetfamily/vetfamily-
carolyn-blashek-founder-operation-gratitude, October 31, 2015.
Jones, K. (2009, November 11). Raising Morale Far From Home. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/giving/12VET.html?_r=0, October 31, 2015.
Privacy Policy - Operation Gratitude. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.operationgratitude.com/privacy-policy/, October 31, 2015.
Timeline: How The Anthrax Terror Unfolded. (2011, February 15). Retrieved from
http://www.npr.org/2011/02/15/93170200/timeline-how-the-anthrax-terror-
unfolded, October 31, 2015.

11. Operation Gratitude’s Impact on Soldiers:
An Army First Sergeant, who wrote to
tell us that Operation Gratitude had saved
the life of his soldier:
“Your care packages helped lift morale
here greatly and helped save the life of a
young soldier. We had a soldier who never
got mail, care packages, or anything. He
had little family and as it turns out was
planning to commit suicide on Christmas,
but because that soldier received your care
package on Christmas Eve, it was like a
Christmas gift. It made the soldier change
his mind. The soldier now writes letters
and emails to the folks whose names were
in the box and his attitude and outlook on
life have really improved. Your care
package made a major difference in a
human life.
Help lift morale
in the Military and First
Responder communities
and provide every
American an opportunity
to say “Thank You” to all
who serve.
OperationGratitude/California
ArmyNationalGuard
17330VictoryBoulevard
VanNuys,CA91406
Tel:1-800-651-8031
www.operationgratitude.com

12. About Operation Gratitude:
Operation Gratitude is a nonprofit
volunteer-based organization that sends
care packages and letters of support to
individual Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and
Marines deployed in active war efforts, to
their children left behind, and to First
Responders, Veterans, New Recruits,
Military Families, Wounded Warriors and
their Care Givers.
Lifting morale in the Military and First
Responder communities is very important.
We invite you to join us in creating
packages for the U.S. service members.
Volunteers can participate at our location in
California, or remotely.
Volunteer
We depend upon our volunteers to make care
packages. You can be a part of Operation
Gratitude’s 50,000+ volunteers who send more
than 100,000 care packages per year. Our
volunteer efforts reflect the following: 2.75
million hours of volunteer service, 5 million
handwritten letters, 9 million pounds of
packages, $11 million in postage, 60 million
donated items, and packages traveling 78.3
billion miles.
Operation Gratitude embraces support in every
state.
Nationwide Volunteer Activities Include:
• Organizing Collections of: Wish List
Items, Halloween Candy and Smart
Phones for Recycling
• Hosting Fundraisers and Letter Writing
Campaigns
• Collecting Beanie Babies, Webkinz,
Trolls and other stuffed animals
• Assembling “Care Kits” of 5-10 items to
include in the larger care packages
• Weaving Paracord “Survival” Bracelets &
Knitting/Crocheting Scarves
• Writing Letters
•
Request a Package
Family, friends, and previous co-workers can fill
out an online request form to send a care
package.
The organization sends a care package to
every currently deployed Service Member
whose name is received, to new recruits upon
their graduation from boot camp, to first
responders on the frontlines here at home,
and to veterans of earlier eras under the
banner: “It is never too late to say ‘Thank
You.’” Special ‘Battalion Buddy’ stuffed
animals are sent to the children of deployed
troops.
To request a package, please visit
https://www.operationgratitude.com/request-
a-package/individual-requests-form/
Make a Donation
Monetary donations to Operation Gratitude
are used to pay for production, shipping and
communication expenses required to send the
care packages. Your tax-deductible donation
pays for the assembly and shipping expenses
of $15 per care package. More than 97% of
all donations are devoted to Program
Services. Only 2.6% of funds raised are
used for administrative and fundraising
expenses.
To make a donation visit
https://www.operationgratitude.com/make-
donation/, or call 262-674-7281.