Operation Gift Cards is seeking donations to help supply wounded soldiers with gift cards and thank you kits.
Since October 2005, the Operation Gift Cards’ 55 monthly visits have presented 8,330 thank you kits which contained $166,600 in post exchange (military department store) gift certificates to our wounded troops.
An additional $88,200 in other gift certificates and special group product donations (Girl Scout cookies, corporate gift certificates etc.) have been delivered to the Soldier Family Assistance Center, the Fisher Houses, the Mologne House, the Navy Lodge, the Red Cross, and the Bethesda Casualty Affairs Office at the Walter Reed and Bethesda military bases, along with over $50,000 worth items on the “wish list” for both the wounded troops and their families.
The donations left during the last Operation Gift Cards visit to our wounded troops, brought the programs total donations to over $300,000.
Each month, for the past four and a half years, the program has averaged over $5,500 in gift certificates and wish list items presented to the wounded troops and their families.
On the last visit, representatives visited wounded soldiers and personally thanked them for their service to their country and for their sacrifice for freedom.
Each patient was presented with three thank you kits containing a custom-designed thank you card, a $20 gift certificate for the post exchange ($60 total in gift certificates), and flyers about programs the co-sponsor developed that may be of interest to the patients once they return to their home state.
The program goal is to have a different group of co-sponsors collectively purchase, each month, between $3,000 and $4,000 in gift certificates in order to present all visited wounded patients in Walter Reed and Bethesda military hospitals with at least three thank you kits containing at least $60 in gift certificates. They also deliver wish list items to the wounded troops and their families. Units in the American Legion, AMVETS (American Veterans), Disabled American Veterans, Marine Corps League, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Vietnam Veterans of America have been co-sponsors.
Members of American Legion Post 16 have participated in most of the 55 monthly visits to our wounded troops for the past four and a half years and the Post has been a co-sponsor three times. Members of Post 16 who have personally presented thank you kits to our wounded troops in Washington D. C. military hospitals are: Tom Evans, Ken Hagen, Hank Kormornick, Al Meadows, Dick Rosenbaum, Dennis Salzar, and Mark and Bernice Scott.
To participate in Operation Gift Cards or to make a corporate or personal donation, contact Al Meadows (203) 929‑3357 e‑mail: al.meadows@snet.net. Or visit the website.
The document below is a “Wish List” of items for wounded soldiers.
