"I know what it's like to receive boxes, especially from people you don't know ... It's awesome."
On Thanksgiving Day in 2005, Army National Guardsmen Justin Hair opened a gift box sent overseas by American schoolchildren. After six months in Iraq, small gifts like blankets, food and handwritten cards had an effect on him.
Seven years later, Hair co-owns CrossFit Discernment in Dalton, Ga. Every Thanksgiving, he pays thanks to the troops overseas with Operation Uplift. The program he created harnesses the power of his affiliate, asking members to donate, pack and send holiday packs to the troops.
The boxes are simple, containing deodorant, toothbrushes, blankets, food, devotionals, Bibles and ideally, a little piece of home.
When deployed, he notes, the little things count.
“They can’t just go to the store and get trail mix and tuna packets,” Hair says.
The idea was born in 2006, when Hair, fresh out of the military, was looking for a way to give back.
“I know what it’s like to receive boxes, especially from people you don’t know,” Hair says. “It’s awesome.”
For the first two years, it was his personal project. But by 2008, his project became a community initiative. He founded Operation Uplift so more people could take part. The local newspaper, community, church groups and CrossFit Discernment all help raise awareness, recruit volunteers and organize donations and packaging.
The biggest challenge isn’t filling the boxes, Hair says. It’s getting the boxes to the troops.
“One year, when I had 2,000 boxes to send, the shipping was going to be $20,000 and we didn’t have that much,” he says.
He reached out to the community, and word spread quickly.
“Later that day, I found out that a few people had (gone) into the bank and deposited the money in Operation Uplift’s account,” Hair recalls. “It ended up being almost the exact amount we needed.”
Year after year, Hair and many other supporters have organized donations, and packaged and sent gifts halfway around the world. Usually they don’t know the effect of any one gift box, but occasionally the word travels back.
“A lady called me because her husband was over there. One of their guys had just gotten killed,” Hair says. “The boxes they got two weeks after that were a big morale boost. She called me after that, crying, saying thank you.”