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This article was originally published on Happily Ever Aperture but has found its new home here.
Serving Those Who Serve Us
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” —excerpt from the Declaration of Independence, signed July 4, 1776
Next month, on Independence Day—July 4— we celebrate the 243rd anniversary of the United States of America’s declaration of independence from Great Britain—we celebrate the birth of our nation. This year, I wanted my family’s celebration to be more and mean more than just holding a barbecue and watching fireworks. This year I wanted to find a way to honor the men and women who serve in the armed forces in our country and won’t be home to celebrate with their families.
Operation Gratitude
In a quick Google search, I found an organization—Operation Gratitude—that offers lots of opportunities for volunteers. According to its website, Operation Gratitude sends care packages to active duty troops, first responders, veterans, wounded heroes, and military families.
Volunteers are needed to:
- Write personal letters to troops, veterans, and first responders
- Make paracord quick-release survival bracelets
- Crochet or knit scarves and hats
- Donate small plush animals
- Collect donations to pay to ship the care packages
- Sew “Cool Ties” for soldiers to wear around their heads or necks to provide relief in hot climates.
Lots of different options! All of these items (other than the shipping fees obviously) are included in the care packages that are sent.
I decided that this year I would contribute by making paracord bracelets.
Paracord Choices
Operation Gratitude has an Amazon wish list which details items that they include in their packages and the paracord they recommend: PARACORD PLANET Parachute 550 Cord Type III 7 Strand Paracord. It comes in so many colors, but Operation Gratitude asks that the bracelets be made in muted, gender neutral colors. Reflective or neon colors could be a safety risk in combat zones, so don’t use them!
The 550 paracord comes in over 600 colors! To view the full color chart, click over to Paracord Planet. Be sure to avoid those that say “w/ Metallic Tracers” or those labeled “Neon,” “Reflect,” and possibly “Changing” and, again, stick to muted colors that blend with the troops’ uniforms.
I chose PARACORD PLANET Parachute 550 Cord Type III 7 Strand Paracord Rattler and purchased a 250-foot spool. Each bracelet is made from 7.5 feet of paracord, so a 250-foot spool makes 33 bracelets if you cut accurately. If you don’t want to make that many, the paracord comes in lots of different lengths from 10 feet to 1000 feet. Just divide your chosen length by 7.5 feet to figure out how many bracelets you’re letting yourself in for.
The Goal
My goal was to finish the bracelets by June 25th to be able to ship them and have them returned to Operation Gratitude by Independence Day. I thought that if we did one or two every day, we’d make it with a little time to spare.
These went faster than anticipated. It took about ten minutes to make the first bracelet, watching the video to learn the proper technique. A couple of more tries, and we were whizzing through them. I timed one just to see how long the whole process takes—cutting the cord, melting the ends, making the bracelet—and here’s a screenshot of the result.
Less than six minutes.
Less time than it takes my old air popper to pop a batch of popcorn. Less time than it takes to boil fettuccine for dinner.
Less than six minutes and under $.80 (for the 250-foot spool; less than $.40 a bracelet if purchasing the 1000-foot spool) to make a gift for a man or woman serving our country. I made five the first night.
We had our 33 bracelets made in four days. To really challenge ourselves, I’ll have to purchase a 1000-foot spool next time!
How You Can Help
If your family would like to contribute to Operation Gratitude, choose one of the volunteer activities appropriate for the age levels in your family. Young children could color cards or choose a stuffed animal to donate, while older children might enjoy these paracord bracelets and collecting change for shipping the care packages.
What other ways do you like to celebrate Independence Day to inspire a sense of patriotism and gratitude?
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