Give & Take: Letters to the Troops
The United States military currently has troops deployed in over 150 countries around the world, with 165,000 active-duty members serving outside the United States and its territories. The emotional and physical burden of deployment on both individuals and their families can be difficult to get through without support from friends, loved ones and sometimes even strangers.
Having two grandfathers who served in WWII, uncles that served in Vietnam and a significant other who is approaching a deployment to Afghanistan, I am aware of how meaningful a handwritten letter of appreciation can be, even if from a complete stranger. I have thus been involved with an organization named Operation Gratitude since my senior year of college. This organization specializes in sending letters and care packages to service men and women who are deployed, new recruits in bootcamp or of veteran status. Over the course of 2018, Operation Gratitude was able to send over 450,000 letters along with 10 million in accompanying care packages.
Given that so many of us have family members, friends or acquaintances that are involved in the military, I felt this would be a great Give Back initiative to explore for Prosek. During one week in May, the Prosek team across offices was able to create over 80 letters that included colorful drawings, funny pet photos and words of appreciation. The letters were sent to Operation Gratitude and will be paired with care packages for those who are deployed.
Through this initiative, it became clear that even the smallest acts of kindness can have such an impact on someone’s life. Not only is it important to show appreciation for those who risk their own safety, but it is just as important to understand how incredibly blessed we are to have our freedom. By writing letters to troops, I was reminded how truly lucky I am to even have the opportunity and knowledge to express my thanks to those overseas. It is an honor to know that Prosek had the opportunity to help in their efforts to give a little bit of home and appreciation to those who selflessly lay down their lives for our freedom.
Finding an organization that hits so close to home and seeing the support from Prosek was truly inspiring. I hope that we, as a company, can continue to work with Operation Gratitude in the future. If you want to write a letter or donate items to a care package, please head over to Operation Gratitude to learn how you can participate. 