Singing his way across the country for others, Jack Knight has stopped at hundreds of police stations and firehouses to thank first responders for their efforts. Volunteering as Operation Gratitude’s current Morale Officer and Goodwill Ambassador,  Jack has driven over 80,000 miles and sung to more than 30,000 veterans and first responders since the organization was founded in 2003. Jack served in the Army two years before Vietnam and cites some of his favorite memories as pitching a no-hitter in an Army softball tournament and being in Washington D.C. at the same time as Martin Luther Ki ..read more

When we express gratitude, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, which are responsible for our emotions, and make us feel good. They enhance our mood immediately, making us feel happy from the inside. If we practice gratitude daily, we can strengthen and create a grateful and positive nature within ourselves which builds our inner strength to combat stress.¹ But what does it mean to our service members to receive not just reminders from home, but also expressions of gratitude from Americans everywhere? They get that dopamine boost as well! That unexpected show of gratitude can mean a ..read more

This weekend my family and I drove past the 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom house where I grew up with my five brothers and sisters. The grass is a lot less green and the house less well-kept, but my memories of childhood under its roof are intact.  This is where my parents taught me the importance of serving others, to love my neighbor, to be empathetic and walk in someone else’s shoes, to always do the right thing even when it is hard, and to strive to make a difference in this world.  With a father who is a Marine and a mother with an unshakable faith in humankind, those things are alwa ..read more

Amidst the heat of the summer, an image of logs crackling in the fireplace and casting a glow on stockings hung above is probably the last thing to come to mind for most people. But for Operation Gratitude and our growing army of volunteers nationwide, the holiday spirit is always in our thoughts. Together with CSX Pride in Service, Operation Gratitude celebrated Christmas in July by assembling 10,000 Care Packages for Deployed Troops across the globe. The packages deliver a much-needed morale boost to troops overseas and include handwritten letters of appreciation from grateful Americans, Han ..read more

As we hit the heat of the summer, the image of logs crackling in the fireplace and casting a glow on stockings hung above is probably the last thing to come to mind for most people. However, for Operation Gratitude and our growing army of volunteers nationwide, that holiday spirit is in full swing this month. Together with CSX Pride in Service, Operation Gratitude is celebrating Christmas in July by shipping 10,000 Care Packages for Deployed Troops across the globe.  Over the next few days, Operation Gratitude team members, partners from CSX, and volunteers are gathering at ..read more

Support (verb): To hold up or add strength literally or figuratively. To advocate, assist or help. Operation Gratitude’s partners and supporters are the driving force of our organization, making it possible for us to impact over 3.5 million lives (so far!) with our signature Care Packages. It doesn’t matter if the partner or gift is large or small, their generous support has been game-changing, and we are so grateful. In the partner spotlight today… Dayspring Pens Specializing in crafting one of a kind, luxury gift pens made unique with custom engraving. Dayspring Pens is proud to partn ..read more

Recently, Operation Gratitude CEO James Johnson spoke with iHeart Radio about the impact Care Packages can have on recipients and how you can help. Listen to the full interview below and come join us on the journey to thank all who serve! And if you can’t listen to the interview, here’s a summary: In March of 2003, a soldier came into our founder Carolyn Blashek’s office asking for a chaplain and broke down at her desk. He was on leave from a war zone for his mother’s funeral, his wife had left him, and his only child had died as an infant—he had no one else in his life. It was then he to ..read more

Summer Fun In July Without the sunburn It’s summertime, the children are on break from school, and vacation season is in full swing, but are you having a hard time tearing the kids away from their video games, Tik Tok, or Netflix? Operation Gratitude has the perfect solution! Gather the whole family and join our Jot A Note in July Challenge! Here’s how it works: Get the family together (yes, you’ll need to tear the kids away from Madden NFL 22) and write four notes each to our service members. But don’t stop there…the challenge takes place the whole month of July. So, recruit your friends ..read more

As our organization matures, so do our volunteers! We often hear from our team that they first volunteered with us as children, and now many are grown and bringing Operation Gratitude to the new generation of generous givers! One such volunteer is Kiara Coronado.  “I first found out about Operation Gratitude when I co-founded the GenerationOn Club at North Hollywood High School. We focused our efforts on volunteer work. When I found out about Operation Gratitude, I thought it would be a great opportunity to give back to those heroes who sacrifice so much for us,” said Coronado. “A smal ..read more

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July with your family and friends. I spent the day with my wife, Laura, my parents, and my brothers and sisters in NJ. While we watched the fireworks on the beach where I grew up, I thought of all of you and how lucky I am to be part of the Operation Gratitude family. I can’t believe we have impacted more than 1.3 million of our nation’s heroes since my first Assembly Day in December of 2017. We couldn’t have done it without you. As I reflected this weekend about what Independence Day means to me, I thought back to a day in my life I will never forget. Februa ..read more