Time Warner Cable Supports Our Troops With Operation Gratitude
Time Warner Cable has teamed up with Operation Gratitude to create an in-house employee volunteer opportunity for our San Diego based employees. When considering nonprofit partners, Operation Gratitude was selected for the tremendous impact of the organization and for the wonderful cause they serve.
Operation Gratitude annually sends 150,000+ care packages to new recruits, veterans, first responders, wounded warriors, care givers and to individually named U.S. service members deployed overseas. Operation Gratitude’s mission is to lift the spirits and meet the evolving needs of our active duty and veteran communities while providing volunteer opportunities for all Americans to express their appreciation to members of our military. These care packages are filled with snacks, entertainment, hygiene and hand-made items, plus personal letters of appreciation. Each package contains donated product valued at $75-100 and costs the organization $15 to assemble and ship. Since its inception in 2003, Operation Gratitude volunteers have shipped more than one million care packages.
Many of the TimeWarner Cable employees in the San Diego area have served in the military or have close family members or friends who have served. Additionally, our employees have formed a very active employee network focused on veterans, referred to as VetNet.
On September 29, 2015, our event began with employees gathering for a presentation by a representative from Operation Gratitude who shared a personal story about her brother (a former Marine), and how much he appreciated receiving his package from Operation Gratitude. A video was then shown which further explained the impact that our employees were having by participating in the event. Employee volunteers had the opportunity to write letters of support and gratitude to U.S. troops, and to create care packages. These letters and packages were then shipped to members of our military forces currently on active duty.
In total, 400 care packages and 300 letters were shipped to our troops. We logged 150 volunteer hours for this shared positive shared experience. It was definitely a transformative experience and filled with heart and meaning for all those who participated. We are looking forward to hosting several more upcoming events with Operation Gratitude in our other locations around the country.
