This Memorial Day weekend, two activities invite Bruins to show their gratitude for soldiers and veterans.
On Saturday, May 24, the UCLA Volunteer Center and the San Fernando Valley Bruin Network will come together to assemble care packages for Operation Gratitude to lift morale, bring a smile to a service member’s face and express the appreciation and support of the American people. A Van Nuys-based nonprofit, Operation Gratitude annually sends 100,000 care packages to U.S. service members deployed in hostile regions and to their children left behind, as well as to Wounded Warriors, Veterans and First Responders.
To sign up as a volunteer, visit the UCLA Volunteer Center’s One Bus, One Cause. This service project will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will include production of the care packages, labeling, letter-reading and writing, running packages, re-stocking the lines, breaking down cartons and many other tasks. Breakfast and snacks will be provided, or volunteers may purchase lunch from one of the many food trucks that will be on-site, which give a percentage back to Operation Gratitude.
On Sunday, May 25, UCLA's Hammer Museum, in collaboration with the UCLA Volunteer Center, gives kids the opportunity to thank soldiers and veterans for their service. Beginning at 11 a.m. and throughout the day, the Hammer will provide free materials for kids to produce drawings and other creative works to share their wishes and thoughts with service members at home and abroad. For more information, visit the Hammer Museum.
