Shelton residents Frank DeAngelo, Lauren Cust (a wounded warrior from Operation Iraqi Freedom) and Al Meadows recently participated in the 93rd presentation of thank you kits to wounded troops at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
During the visit they delivered over $8,100 to the wounded troops and their families.
Since October 2005, the Operation Gift Cards’ 93 monthly/bimonthly visits have presented 16,055 thank you kits which contained $321,100 in post exchange (military department store) gift certificates to our wounded troops.
An additional $286,800 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, Building 62, the Navy Lodge, the Red Cross, and the Casualty Affairs Office, along with over $50,000 worth items on the “wish list” for both the wounded troops and their families (approx. $657,900 total).
On the last visit, representatives from the AMVETS (American Veterans), the Fairfield Fire Department, the Disabled American Veterans, employees of Sikorsky Corp., and Stamford‘s Union Memorial Church visited wounded troops and personally thanked them for their service to their country and for their sacrifice for freedom.
Each patient was presented with 3 “Thank You” kits containing a custom-designed thank you card with a picture of the cosponsor’s members, a $20 gift certificate for the military store ($60 total in gift certificates), and flyers about benefit programs the cosponsor has developed that may be of interest to the patients.
Sixty-six groups and individuals have cosponsored Operation Gift Cards. The program goal is to have 3 to 5 cosponsors collectively purchase, between $4,000 and $5,000 in gift certificates in order to present all visited wounded patients in Walter Reed with at least three “Thank You” kits containing between $60-$120 in gift certificates.
For more information contact Al Meadows at (203) 929‑3357
