Operation Gratitude

By: Brittany Bevis

“Hello, my name is HM2 J.B.  and I’m a part of 3rd Medical Battalion here in *****. . I haven’t been on board long, and today I was met with a surprise. A very nice coworker of mine handed me a box and said it was from Operation Gratitude. I’ve never heard of you guys before, but when I brought it home to my barracks room I was pleasantly surprised. The letter and hand made skull cap was my favorite and the other items were fantastic as well. I cannot express how grateful I was to receive this gift today. Thank you very much and please keep up the good work. God bless and take care.”- HM2 J.B.- via OperationGratitude.com

While we might never know who HM2 J.B. is or where he’s currently serving in *****, it’s clear the package he received from Operation Gratitude warmed his heart and helped make his time spent serving overseas feel a little more like home.

Since the program’s inception in 2003, 1,750,076 Operation Gratitude care packages have been sent to veterans, new recruits, first responders, wounded warriors, and deployed troops stationed around the world. The packages include hand written letters of thanks and encouragement, food and candy, personal hygiene items, handheld entertainment devices, and handmade items.

The National Snaffle Bit Association’s Youth club has adopted Operation Gratitude’s mission as their Youth Service Project this year and plan to have tables set up at major horse shows around the country, so everyone can participate in writing a brief note of thanks or word of encouragement to the brave men and women protecting our country in these unstable times.

Kacie Scharf, President Elect of the NSBA Youth Association, is well aware of how much these packages mean to our currently deployed servicemen and women. This is her third year being involved with the association, having served as a director for two years and now President Elect.

“Through Operation Gratitude, we help send care packages to soldiers who are in war zones,” Scharf says. “In those care packages, we include the letters that people have written to the soldiers, among other items. The mission is to lift the spirits of soldiers.”

“I’ve written many letters to servicemen and women. I try to go to our booths at every show and write at least one letter. It doesn’t take much time, and I know each letter could make a soldier smile.”

Not only do these care packages brighten the day of serving soldiers, they might even save a soldier’s life. You see, the NSBA Youth group also collects Beanie Babies to send with their care packages. Beanie Babies for soldiers? Not only do these small, plush toys bring a smile and a touch of home, they’re used to create trust with children in warn-torn countries, who might be able to provide essential, tactical information.

“The soldiers trade Beanie Babies with children in war zones in exchange for information, such as where roadside bombs are located,” she says. “They’re super important because they could potentially save the lives of our soldiers.”

In addition to letters and Beanie Babies, Operation Gratitude collects many other items to include in care packages. On their wish list this year are the following:

2017 Wish List 

• knit or crocheted hats and scarves
• bandana coolers
• paracord survival bracelets
• hand sanitizer
• socks
• DVDs, CDs, video games, iPods, flash drives
• lip balm
• roll on deodorant
• hand and foot warmers
• individually packaged razors
• pens and pocket sized notepads
• gel or cream shaving cream
• individual packets of moist towelettes
• travel-sized dental products
• handhed electronic games
• mini fans
• travel sized foot powder
• screen printed t-shirts, hats, gloves
• unused holiday cards
• used cell phones
• yarn
• gift cards for major retailers like Walmart, Target, drugstores
• small jigsaw puzzle boxes
• model kits
• crossword and sudoku

Sadly, many people are simply unaware of the NSBA Youth’s service project this year. But we’re going to change that!

“Honestly, many people don’t seem to pay the booths much attention,” she says. “I think most people don’t know what the booth is for, which is why we’re really trying to get the word out more. I think it’s super important for everyone, not just the horse community, to think about those who are fighting to ensure our safety. That being said, those in the horse community are incredibly blessed to be able to do what we do, so I do think it’s especially good for all of us to be reminded to think of all the soldiers out there who allow us to have the lives we do.”

Upcoming locations for NSBA Youth Operation Gratitude booths will be posted on the NSBA Youth Facebook page, so you’ll know where to look for one when you attend your next horse show. Also, if you’re interested in setting up a table at your event please contact Nikki Schultz at nsbayouth@nsba.com with the date and location and it will be included in an upcoming NSBA Youth newsletter.