How to Organize a Collection Drive

Holding a Collection Drive for Operation Gratitude is a great way to show support for our troops and veterans, and it’s something you can do to support the troops no matter where you live!

Need some tips?

1. Start by choosing the dates, times and location of your collection.

2. Get the word out in your community — family, friends, co-workers and classmates can all help you publicize your event via flyers, social media, newsletters, blogs and by good old-fashioned word of mouth! (Sign-up here to receive a “social media tool kit” with ideas for sample posts and tweets.)

3. Specify what items from our “Wish List” you want to collect. If you want to narrow down the choices, we can ALWAYS use Beanie Babies, travel-size hygiene items, decks of playing cards and letters of thanks!

4. Consider collecting items to RECYCLE to help us raise the funds needed to assemble and ship our care packages! Check out GRC Wireless for information about recycling old cell phones — it’s a “win-win” for the environment and the troops!

5. Once your collection drive is over, please fill out our Donation Form before you ship*/deliver your items to us at our address below:

Operation Gratitude
21100 Lassen Street
Chatsworth, CA 91311-4278
(262)674-7281

*If you need confirmation of delivery on your shipments of donations prior to receipt of our acknowledgment letter (allow up to 12 weeks) please use the tracking system provided by your shipper.

Find more Donation & Shipping Info here.

Want to drop off your items in person? Please check our Hours of Operation first to be sure we’ll be there when you want to make a delivery.

Questions? Send an email to Info@OperationGratitude.com

THANK YOU for your support!

About Operation Gratitude

Operation Gratitude annually sends 200,000+ care packages to Veterans, First Responders, New Recruits, Wounded Heroes, their Care Givers, and to individually named U.S. service members deployed overseas and their families waiting at home. Each package is filled with food, entertainment, hygiene and hand-made items, as well as personal letters of support. Our mission is to lift the spirits and meet the evolving needs of the Military and First Responder communities, and provide volunteer opportunities for civilians anywhere in America to express their appreciation to all who serve our nation. Each package contains donated product valued between $45 and $100 and costs our organization $15 to assemble and ship. Since its inception in 2003, Operation Gratitude volunteers have shipped more than 1.6 Million Care Packages.

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