Operation Gratitude: Helping Our Troops with Handmade Donations

You may recall our post last year about Operation Gratitude collecting crocheted and knitted scarves to send to our troops stationed around the world. This year the need for scarves and other handmade  items continues and there’s still plenty of time for you to get involved.

Last year I crocheted five scarves that were sent to Operation Gratitude and this year my goal was to double that by knitting and crocheting ten scarves. There were several friends of ITS who joined me and also made scarves that were sent to our troops through Operation Gratitude. We sincerely thank those of you made scarves or other donations last year and hope that you’ll consider contributing again this year.

Operation Gratitude

Operation Gratitude is an organization that began in 2003 by volunteering to create care packages to send to our military in order to boost morale and remind our service members that they have the appreciation and support of Americans back home.

If you’re just learning about Operation Gratitude and aren’t a knitter or crocheter, don’t worry, there are so many other ways you can contribute to the cause. Paracord bracelets that are 8″ in length and Cool-Ties are other handmade items that Operation Gratitude is collecting for their care packages.

If handmade donations just aren’t your cup of tea that’s ok, too. You can write a letter to a deployed or wounded soldier, donate a Beanie Baby that will be sent to comfort a service member’s son or daughter or make a monetary donation that will support the creation and transport of care packages all around the world. According to Operation Gratitude, “98% of all donations [go] to Program Services” which means that “administrative and fundraising expenses are only 1.3% of our budget.” Find out more about Operation Gratitude’s Program Services here.

Handmade scarves and hats are being collected now through December and handmade cool-ties are collected from March through May each year. For more details about the guidelines for making scarves and cool-ties visit Operation Gratitude here.

Support for our military comes in all kinds of ways from actually enlisting in a branch of service to volunteering your time or resources to help out where you can. For those of you who want to send a handmade gift of encouragement and support, or donate to the cause that makes this type of giving possible, Operation Gratitude makes it easy.