Operation Yellow Ribbon

WANTED!
U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS past and present:
Operation Yellow Ribbon is looking for U.S. Service Members to join us and the Warriors Watch Riders to lead the way as we once again will be walking in the 4th of July Parade down Main Street in Marlton (Evesham).
Facebook members, please help us as we would be most honored to have a ton of brave HEROES and SHE-ROES join us in the parade! Those that have served or serve now can dress in uniform (or civilian clothes) and their family members can walk as well or watch from the public and cheer you on.
Please email David at [email protected] if you can help or can join us! We will gather at 10:30 AM on Main Street in Marlton (in front of Sal's Pizza) with the parade starting at 11:00 AM and things over before noon. Thank you

We can't thank literally the infinite amount of Girl Scouts, their parents/guardians and of course supporters who make the purchases to have the cookies donated to Operation Yellow Ribbon. We love it as we get to put smiles on the faces of our Brave who are deployed, the girls learn about supporting the Troops all while learning sales and finance ;)

Thank you to everyone who has contributed as we wrap up what will be our last Girl Scout Cookie season. We are beyond blessed and grateful.

A short but sweet email from one of Operation Yellow Ribbon's care package recipients to share on this R.E.D. Friday morning:

Good day,

I would like to express my sincerest thank you for your contribution to our deployed members. Your gifts brings a morale I cannot not express. This email does not express how thankful we are.

The goodies were quickly devoured and delicious.

Again, Thank you!

Very Respectfully,
(name removed for OPSEC purposes)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OPERATION YELLOW RIBBON TO WIND DOWN CARE PACKAGE OPERATIONS

It is with a heavy heart but yet one filled with utter gratitude that all-volunteer 501c3 non-profit Operation Yellow Ribbon will be winding down its “morale boosting care package business” operations over the months to come.

The heavy heart is because we know that our brave US Service Members deployed to the Middle East and fighting the war on terror still need love and support from home but we are no longer able to keep up with the demand for care packages coupled with the constant rising price of everything including purchasing care package items, USPS postage, rent and insurance.

Our hearts are filled with total gratitude thanks to the literally thousands of people, schools, civic organizations, places of worship, local and national businesses and corporations that have helped us serve those that serve our great country in so many capacities. Whether you helped us with financial donations, ran your own care package item donation drive, helped spread the word of our fundraisers and events, or anything and everything in between; it’s impossible to express our gratitude with pen to paper here today. Truly. Thank you.

For now, we will stay open as a 501c3 non-profit just in case a miracle blessing of a very large financial donation happens to keep us shipping or to make things easier if we decide to ship again in the future. Volunteers from Operation Yellow Ribbon will continue to surprise and welcome home our returning local South Jersey service members along with the Warriors Watch Riders and other Patriotic motorcycle groups, local towns and First Responders as nothing will be changing in partnering to coordinate and facilitate “rock star, surprise” welcome home celebrations.

There is no way to possibly thank everyone who has helped over the almost 15 years Operation Yellow Ribbon has been in the morale boosting, care package business (and almost 20 years when we include our predecessor; The Yellow Ribbon Club who we have to acknowledge for setting the stage and teaching us the way to be so successful). Fortunately for us; there are just too many to thank so to make sure we don’t miss anyone; we thank you all as we are beyond blessed for such amazing support over the years.

It has been quite a ride. We made some amazing connections and relationships. Friendships forged that will last a lifetime. We had to say goodbye to some friends and loved ones as well along the way where they were instrumental in our success and we miss them dearly. Since 2012, Operation Yellow Ribbon has shipped almost 700,000 lbs of goodies and hygiene items that we take for granted here at home to countries in the Middle East where these items are not easy to access. From being honored by the American Red Cross in 2014, to winning the "Wawa Hero Award” on the steps of Independence Hall in Philadelphia on the 4th of July, 2017 to being featured on national television on the Today Show in 2020; to the countless emails, handwritten letters, US flags and challenge coins we have received from our care package recipients…..it has truly been an honor to have been able to do what we have accomplished over the years.

Although we no longer have “boots on the ground” as we did not long ago such as in Iraq and Afghanistan where now we do not hear much in the news anymore about current events affecting our deployed US Service Members; it cannot be lost on us that countless US Service Members continue to make tremendous sacrifices with their deployments where the need is still constant to boost morale of these brave Heroes and She-roes.

We kindly ask you to consider still making financial and care package item donations as we work to wind things down with sending “hugs in a box” as we look to spend down what we have to continue to boost the morale of our “Brave” as much as we can before closing up shop. We would be more than grateful for your help. https://www.operationyellowribbon.org/make-a-financial-donation/

We still have our joint fundraiser with the Rotary Club Marlton NJ and their March 8th Pancake breakfast. We hope you can join us for that as the money raised will help us with our last care packages. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/rotaryclubofmarlton/1539396

We will be accepting care package item donations including Girl Scout Cookies up until April 1st, 2025. After that, we can assist with passing along items to other amazing groups in the community. There will come a time where we will no longer be accepting any financial donations and will return them if we receive anything after that time has come. After we are finished with sending our last care packages and finalizing our operational expenses for 2025; whatever funds we have left will be kept to keep our lights for operating expenses to continue the welcome home celebrations. Eventually we will pass along remaining funds as much as possible among other worthy charities that we are fond of and we kindly ask you to consider supporting them going forward and consistently as we believe they are just amazing (and in no particular order):

Woods n Water : https://woodsnwater.org/

The Military Support Group: https://themilitarysupportgroupofnj.com/

NJ Run For the Fallen: https://www.njrftf.org/

Be Like Henry: https://belikehenry.org/

The Jeremy Kane Memorial Fund: https://kolaminj.shulcloud.com/payment.php (and then select “Jeremy Kane Gift…” in the drop down).

Project Refit: https://www.projectrefit.us/

Always Supporting Our Military: https://www.facebook.com/asrmilitary

Marlton Elks Veterans Committee or Clayton Elks Veterans Committee: https://www.elks.org/vets/

Stockings For Soldiers-Delaware, Inc https://www.stockingsforsoldiers.org/Donate.html

A Soldier's Hands https://www.facebook.com/ASoldiersHands/

Operation Surf: https://operationsurf.org/

One last time…

For The Troops,

Proud and grateful volunteers of Operation Yellow Ribbon