GLENDALE, Calif.–Los Angeles Federal Credit Union (LAFCU) employees and their guests, along with over 300 other volunteers, assembled 5,000 care packages for deployed troops, military families, veterans and first responders for the Operation Gratitude charity.
The special “Assembly Day” was held at its spacious, well-ventilated Chatsworth, Calif. warehouse.
Since its founding 20 years ago in 2003, Operation Gratitude has assembled and delivered almost four-million packages containing snacks, personal care and hygiene products, and handmade items.
The most cherished items included are handwritten letters from grateful Americans nationwide, the credit union said, adding the letters are the manifestation of Operation Gratitude’s mission to express appreciation for those who step forward to serve and sacrifice on behalf of the country.
Along with volunteering time at the warehouse, LAFCU raised and then donated $12,500 to Operation Gratitude. This included $7,500 from LAFCU branches and online in April, plus a $5,000 corporate match through its 501(c)3 charity, the Los Angeles Charitable Association (LACA). LACA was founded in 2006 to collect and distribute funds to deserving 501(c)3 charities in the Greater Metropolitan Los Angeles, California area.
Since its founding, LACA has donated $635,000 to charities and its supporters have volunteered over 2,100 hours at those charities.