The deployed troops who receive our Operation Gratitude care packages love the candy we send, and we love helping to keep a sweet tooth satisfied! This year, along with the candy we ship, we also want to send items to keep our troops’ teeth healthy: toothbrushes, dental floss and toothpaste! We are seeking donations from our friends in the professional dentistry community, manufacturers, suppliers and from concerned Military supporters all over — that means YOU!
These commercially-sealed items combined into handy Oral Hygiene Kits will make a welcome addition to our care packa
ges and will go a long way to reach our goal of putting a smile on every service member’s face!
Halloween is just around the corner, so we are gearing up for another great season of collecting literally tons of sweets! All types of candy are acceptable, including chocolate, during the cooler months of the year. Check out our fun Halloween Candy Give-Back video for sweet inspiration!
(Note: This year we welcome the concept of “Give-Back” in addition to “Buy-Back” and we’re using both the Halloween Candy Buy-Back and Halloween Candy Give-Back names. We encourage dentists and other supporters to use whichever name best reflects what they plan to do.)
To find dentists within your community who may be participating in a Halloween Candy Buy-Back program, or to encourage your own dentist to participate, please visit this website: http://www.halloweencandybuyback.com
Please ship or deliver your candy and other donations by NO LATER THAN December 1. Find detailed donation information and shipping instructions here. (NOTE: For our acknowledgment and “thank you” letter purposes, if the donation is a cooperative effort it is important that all donors be specific regarding who is donating items and who is donating postage costs.)
Be sure to complete and include this Donation Form in every carton you ship to:
Operation Gratitude/California Army National Guard
17330 Victory Boulevard
Van Nuys, CA 91406
ATTN: Halloween Candy Buy Back
~Feel free to use any size cartons–whatever you have on hand or can easily find.
~Please use the most economical method from your location. You can check the websites of the various shippers (UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL) and get their respective prices base
d on weight and size of package. Some of these outlets are allowed to offer discounts, as they are owned as franchises.
~You might also check with local moving or freight companies–they might be willing to add your donation to their load for very little money (or for free) if they are heading this way anyway.
If you want confirmation of delivery on your shipment to us prior to receipt of our acknowledgment letter (allow up to 12 weeks), please use the tracking system provided by your shipper. We are not able to check on individual shipments 
during this time period.
IN-PERSON DELIVERY: We will accept item and letter donations at the armory during our Volunteer Hours of Operation.
Financial donations are welcome and may be made online or sent by mail.
Please visit our Facebook pages for fun ideas: Halloween Candy Buy-Back and Operation Gratitude.
As always: THANK YOU for your support!
Operation Gratitude
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I use to live in the Seattle area and there was an group there who volunteered for Operation Gratitude and put together boxes, etc… I now live in the Dallas area. Is there a group here I could volunteer for? I would appreciate any information you may have. If there is not a group in this area, how would I go about starting one? I belong to a huge church and I am sure I could get many volunteers. Thanks.
Patty, we’d love for you to be involved with what we do — please check out an earlier blog post, Take Your Pick, for many ideas about how you can help support our cause and the troops! If you have more specific questions, please contact us by emai: opgrat -at- gmail.com
Thank you!