America Supports You: Care Package Recipient to Receive Free Jeep

America Supports You ^ | Samantha L. Quigley

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, June 21, 2007 – One lucky patriot serving overseas will find another type of patriot awaiting his or her return home, thanks to an America Supports You organization and a Jeep dealers association.

Operation Gratitude packed its 250,000th care package the morning of June 16. The contents included the normal food, comfort and entertainment items, as well as a homemade quilt donated by school children. But the package won’t be shipped until one more special gift is added to it next month.

The treasure at the bottom of the box will be symbolic keys to a Jeep Patriot donated by the New York Jeep Dealers’ Association. Carolyn Blashek, Operation Gratitude’s founder, will receive the keys to include in the package during a ceremony planned for July 15 in New York.

The package, which was packed as part of Operation Gratitude’s fourth annual “Patriot Drive,” will ship from New York shortly after the ceremony. It’s expected to arrive at its undisclosed destination about the second week in August, Blashek said.

Who will receive this exceptional care package is a secret. Blashek knows, but she isn’t talking.

“I will reveal nothing,” she said.

The milestone moment comes on the heels of the California-based group presenting the recipient of its 200,000th care package with a Dodge Caliber. Marine Lance Cpl. Jordan Richards of St. Louis received the monumental package containing a card proclaiming “This Dodge Caliber is yours,” while serving at Camp Fallujah, Iraq, last Christmas.

Operation Gratitude is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

Related Sites:
Operation Gratitude
America Supports You

Related Articles:
America Supports You: Marine Receives Belated Christmas Gift
America Supports You: Organization Revs Up Marine’s Christmas

[David Isaac]

WOW!! That’s all I can say. What a country.

[PAR35]

The treasure at the bottom of the box will be symbolic keys to a Jeep Patriot

Question for military ethics types: Are members of the armed forces permitted to receive gifts of such value? It would probably not be permitted for civilian employees.

[SandRat]

Don’t know.

[chesty_puller]

Just another reason I love my Jeep.

[Lady GOP]

http://www.rebuildingtogether.org/heroesathome/

Heroes at Home

Heroes at HomeSM is a proprietary program of Sears Holdings Management Corporation. Heroes at Home is a program Sears Holdings created in partnership with Rebuilding Together in response to an urgent need to assist military families facing hardship.

What is Heroes at Home?

Heroes at HomeSM is a program Sears Holdings created in partnership with Rebuilding Together. It assists military families by making critical home modifications to help them live safely and with dignity in their homes.

Who is Rebuilding Together?

Rebuilding Together, the nation’s largest home rehabilitation organization, is committed to bringing warmth, safety and accessibility to homeowners who do not have the financial or physical resources to complete home repairs and other necessary improvements.

What does Heroes at Home provide?

Heroes at Home is a program that provides necessary repairs or adaptations to homes of military families across America. It meets the home renovation needs of injured military personnel, or those members in financial hardship. For example, it could make renovations to a home for a veteran who is physically impaired.

Why has Sears Holdings chosen Heroes at Home?

Sears Holdings has a longstanding commitment to those in the military and is proud to assist the troops and their families through various programs and initiatives.

Heroes at Home is one of the many initiatives through which Sears Holdings acknowledges the sacrifice made by our troops every day in the line of duty, while supporting and honoring those heroes who remain at home.

To request or apply for assistance call 1-800-473-4229

[swmobuffalo]

This is great, but won’t the lucky soldier have to pay taxes on his gift?

[SandRat]

Most likely; unearned income and gift taxes.