Operation Help a Hero
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Our History
    • Our Team
    • Our Financial Info
  • Donate
    • Online Donations
    • Operation Enduring Support Afghanistan Response
    • Mailing Address and Locations for Donations
    • Host a Drive
    • Kaiser Permanente CSIT Christmas Drive
    • IMEG Christmas Drive
    • Perez family Operation Enduring Support
  • Volunteer
    • Calendar of Events
    • Volunteer Registration >
      • Volunteer for Op Rack Pack May 7
      • Volunteer for Camp JOY
      • Volunteer for OHH Baby Shower Feb 26th, Pendleton
      • Be Part of the OHH Team
    • Get Involved
    • Stay Connected
  • Projects
    • OHH Baby Showers >
      • OHH Baby Shower RSVP
      • Adopt a Mommy-Baby
      • Current OHH Baby Needs
    • OHH Camp JOY >
      • Family RSVP for Camp JOY
    • Operation Christmas Spirit >
      • Operation Christmas Spirit Family "Adoption"
      • Operation Christmas Spirit Single Service Member Gifts
      • Operation Christmas Spirit Gift Card Help
      • Operation Christmas Spirit Host a Toy Drive
      • Host an Angel Tree
      • Operation Christmas Spirit Help for Active Duty Families
      • Operation Christmas Spirit Donor Receipt Request
    • Operation Rack Pack >
      • Operation Rack Pack Unit App
      • Single Service Member Survey
    • Operation Enduring Support >
      • Operation Enduring Support Application for Active Duty Families in Crisis
    • Comfort for the Caregiver
  • Contact
    • Unit Applications
    • Operation Enduring Support Application
    • Contact List
  • In the News
  • OHH Thank You!
    • Missions Accomplished
    • Corporate Donors and Sponsors
  • Sign up for alerts
    • Sign up for family specific action alerts
    • Sign up for donation needs action alerts
    • Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter
    • Sign up for area specific volunteer action alerts
    • Sign up to sponsor a new or expecting mommy

Operation Help a Hero

Serving Those Who Bravely Serve Our Country at Home and Abroad

Donate online.
You can help us where needed most or designate your donation to the project that speaks to your heart. 

Donate

We are proud recipients of Guidestar's Platinum Seal of Transparency.
We are an all volunteer organization so 100% of your donations are spent on our programs that serve our Active Duty military, wounded and Gold Star families.

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Upcoming Events

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Please note: For the safety of those we serve and out of respect for their families, we never plan projects on or post information about returns online. Only registered and base vetted volunteers receive information about locations. Please help us keep our heroes and volunteers safe and always keep Operational Security in mind. 

Please make sure to RSVP for these events with your driver's license, date of birth and contact information no later than a week prior to the event to enable us to get clearance for all volunteers.

Keep in mind: Due to the nature of our projects, events are subject to change to meet the needs of the units and families we serve.
OHH is 100% volunteer, 100% hands on, and 100% community based which means when distance is required between us, our job becomes harder. 
​We have felt the impact of COVID 19 both in
the INCREASE IN CALLS FOR OUR HELP and the DECREASE IN DONATIONS.  

We are desperately low on funds & supplies after quietly providing help to families, expecting mothers quarantined during deployment & returning units quarantined to the barracks immediately upon return. 

Pandemics and deployments haven't stopped us, but we sure are happy to be able to start having our volunteers back by our side! Check below for our upcoming events.


Our Recent Events

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Learn About Our Programs

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We are an ALL VOLUNTEER non-profit organization dedicated to our military heroes and those they love. Here are just some of the ways we help...
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We welcome home young, single service members.

Operation Rack Pack: Join us as we spend the day preparing a hero's welcome home for young, single service members returning from deployment to barracks. Volunteers spend the day light cleaning, making beds, and staging welcome home gifts & messages.

We celebrate little heroes dealing with deployment and give respite to their parents on the home front.
OHH Camp JOY: Celebrate our littlest heroes and give mom/dad on the homefront a well-deserved 5 hour break.. Volunteers spend a fun-filled day helping children through fun activity rotations.

We shower new and expecting mommies with spouses deployed with appreciation.
OHH Baby Shower: Help us pamper and love on new and expecting mommies who are shouldering the burden of having a spouse deployed. Volunteers help provide a day of fun & networking opportunities for new moms.

We spread the joy and Spirit of Christmas to military families, single service members, children and unit events.
Operation Christmas Spirit: Spread the Spirit of Christmas through this program, whether it's through service, sponsoring families, creating care package for singles, collecting toys for children or volunteering for unit parties.

We help families and single service members in crisis so they can focus on their missions.
Operation Enduring Support: Care for families in emergency situations with your donations, time and talents. Through this program we privately help families in crisis-- those dealing with death, illness, natural disasters, and emergency situations. We provide food, gently used furniture, childcare, baby necessities, household goods, gift cards and in some cases financial help.

We care, so we give our time freely so your donations are used to directly support these programs and the troops they serve.


Here are 10 "contact free" ways you can help us during these crazy times:
 1. Donate online.
​2. Drop off needed supplies at one of our hub locations (SoCal, Colorado Springs, San Antonio, Washington DC, Tampa, or Jacksonville, NC). Scroll down for most needed supplies.
3. Order much needed supplies through our Amazon Charity Wish List, and it will automatically ship to us. **Please note that this list is set up to ship to our President instead of our PO Box registered. At Christmas time we will list multiple wish lists, each serving different locations. 
4. Collect unused gift cards, gift cards with unused small  balances, Target incentive cards, Kohl's Cash, and store credits from your friends or co-workers--donate them to OHH to use for programs or use them to purchase items on our wish lists. 
5. "Adopt" a new/expecting mommy for our upcoming baby showers. Our next baby shower will be in February 2021.
6. Sponsor a child with a deployed parent for our "Camp JOY to Go" event in January 2021 with a $25 donation per child. Just select "Camp JOY" for your donation designation HERE. 
7. Donate much needed gift cards for upcoming events and Operation Enduring Support crisis assistance: Target, Walmart, Amazon, Restaurants, Kohl's, Grocery Stores, Gas Stations, etc. We are also collecting Starbucks gift cards to give to spouses on the homefront who drive through our "CAMP JOY TO GO" event on in January.
8. Sponsor a welcome home "Quarantine Kit" for service members returning from deployment.  A $75 donation sponsors a service member's kit to include bag, toiletries, snacks, drinks, towel set and more. Just select "Operation Rack Pack" for your donation designation HERE and we'll reach out to help personalize your sponsorship.
9. Host a Facebook Donation Drive to Support OHH. 
10. Get creative making kits and raffle prizes for our upcoming "Camp Joy To Go" in March.

Donate Needed Items

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Donations needed:
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ITEMS for New and Expecting Mommies: 
Help us collect these much-needed items for our February 2021 baby shower AND help us replenish our emergency stock: 
  • ​​MOST NEEDED: Diapers and wipes
  • Baby books
  • Baby bath items-- towels, wash cloths, bath sets, nusery care sets
  • Baby bottling items-- bottles, sanitizers, formula, bottle brushes
  • Baby safety items
  • Raffle items for mommies (strollers, car seats, cribs, monitors, etc.)
  • $10-$25 Target, Walmart or Babies R US gift cards
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ITEMS for our SINGLE Service Members
We will welcome home over 8,000 single service members in 2020 and early 2021. We could use your help with our most needed items:
  • ​MOST NEEDED: Towels and wash cloths
  • Toiletry items: toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, shaving cream,  razors
  • Trial size or pod laundry detergent and fabric softener
  • Instant coffee and sports drinks
  • Entertainment items: cards, games, movies, itunes, amazon, movie tickets, charging stations, etc.
  • Snacks: protein bars, trail mix, popcorn, candy bars, girl scout cookies, cracker snacks, microwaveable mac'n cheese and soups, noodle cups, etc.
  • Domino's Pizza gift cards
  • ​Water bottles for protein shakes (like Nalgene)
We could ALWAYS use welcome home posters and cards!
​Let's make their first hours home FEEL filled with APPRECIATION!

ITEMS for our MILITARY FAMILIES for CHRISTMAS AND EMERGENCIES
Operation Christmas Spirit and Operation Enduring Support programs help military families across the country in emergency situations and during the holidays. Here is a list of our most needed items:
  • MOST NEEDED: Gift cards to purchase household goods, groceries, clothing, gas, and family needs. Places like Amazon, Target, Walmart, Kohls are great because they can ship directly to families. Homegoods, gas stations and local grocery store gift cards are also needed.
  • Toiletry items for children's stockings: toothbrushes, brushes, bath items, etc.
  • Toys for children ranging from 3 months-18 years.
  • Household items: pots/pans, tools, utensils, towel sets, small appliances
  • Baby items: diapers, wipes, nursery items, baby bath sets, clothing
  • Crisis care kits for families with hospitalized loved ones: gas cards, restaurant gift cards, coloring books, small toys, comfort blanket, and entertainment items like puzzle books. Due to limited storage, we ask that these kits are no larger than the size of a small back pack. 
  • Crisis care kits for emergency travel: Visa, gas or airline gift cards with toiletry bag and care package items.
​Donate online or

Mail checks, gift cards or packages to:
​Operation Help a Hero
26247 Enterprise Court
Lake Forest, CA  92630


Operation Help A Hero

Sign up for Action Alerts and OHH E-nnouncements for Volunteers

In their words...


"Of all the organizations I work with, you "get it right." You're compassionate, ORGANIZED, purposeful, and you ask for nothing in return."  ~Regimental Family Readiness Officer

"I can't be there when my son gets back and I'm so thankful there are people like you that care for our sons and daughters when we can't. Does this mom's heart good." ~Parent of a recently returned Marine who benefited from Operation Rack Pack

"My kids had a blast! I studied, cleaned and went grocery shopping, but it was so nice to do it in peace. My husband saw the pictures online. He can't believe how quickly they are growing. Thank you to all of you! You are angels!" ~Mom of 3 kids who attended OHH Camp JOY

"I don't like baby showers. Or at least I didn't until today. I laughed and smiled the whole time. I didn't realize how much I needed that until it started. Thank you for the generous gifts and making the day so special for all of us." ~Expecting mommy who attended an OHH Baby Shower

"It makes you feel like the community really does care and understand!" ~young Marine quoted in the OC Register referring to Operation Rack Pack efforts

"We love you and your Warrior's Ethos, we should all strive to be like you, there is no such thing as NO I can't, NO I won't.........you and your amazing crew always unselfishly put others in front of yourselves =) For that we love you!!!!!!" ~A Camp Pendleton Family Readiness Officer

"We had a Christmas under the tree this morning because of OHH. What can we do to thank you? Can we volunteer? If I had though of it, I should have taken a picture of the kids when they were surprised. We are forever thankful and we want to pay it forward. Bless you." ~family recipient of Operation Christmas Spirit efforts. 
Operation Help a Hero . 26247 Enterprise Court, Lake Forest, CA  92630
Tax ID: 27-1438256
Operation Help a Hero is a 501 (c) (3) public charity.
Your donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Our History
    • Our Team
    • Our Financial Info
  • Donate
    • Online Donations
    • Operation Enduring Support Afghanistan Response
    • Mailing Address and Locations for Donations
    • Host a Drive
    • Kaiser Permanente CSIT Christmas Drive
    • IMEG Christmas Drive
    • Perez family Operation Enduring Support
  • Volunteer
    • Calendar of Events
    • Volunteer Registration >
      • Volunteer for Op Rack Pack May 7
      • Volunteer for Camp JOY
      • Volunteer for OHH Baby Shower Feb 26th, Pendleton
      • Be Part of the OHH Team
    • Get Involved
    • Stay Connected
  • Projects
    • OHH Baby Showers >
      • OHH Baby Shower RSVP
      • Adopt a Mommy-Baby
      • Current OHH Baby Needs
    • OHH Camp JOY >
      • Family RSVP for Camp JOY
    • Operation Christmas Spirit >
      • Operation Christmas Spirit Family "Adoption"
      • Operation Christmas Spirit Single Service Member Gifts
      • Operation Christmas Spirit Gift Card Help
      • Operation Christmas Spirit Host a Toy Drive
      • Host an Angel Tree
      • Operation Christmas Spirit Help for Active Duty Families
      • Operation Christmas Spirit Donor Receipt Request
    • Operation Rack Pack >
      • Operation Rack Pack Unit App
      • Single Service Member Survey
    • Operation Enduring Support >
      • Operation Enduring Support Application for Active Duty Families in Crisis
    • Comfort for the Caregiver
  • Contact
    • Unit Applications
    • Operation Enduring Support Application
    • Contact List
  • In the News
  • OHH Thank You!
    • Missions Accomplished
    • Corporate Donors and Sponsors
  • Sign up for alerts
    • Sign up for family specific action alerts
    • Sign up for donation needs action alerts
    • Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter
    • Sign up for area specific volunteer action alerts
    • Sign up to sponsor a new or expecting mommy