Who We Are
Operation Shoebox embraces a practical mission of providing hands-on support for our troops deployed overseas and returning home. It is the mission of Operation Shoebox to meet the needs of every hero with dignity and appreciation.
Whether it looks like packing coffee, socks, toothpaste, and sports gear into care packages or sending letters of encouragement, whether it looks like organizing fundraisers or collecting supplies for homeless veterans, Operation Shoebox is committed to treating every hero with care and honor.

We send between 350 and 400 packages a week.
Shipping costs are $14,000 per month!

HOW WE GOT HERE

Operation Shoebox was founded in 2003 by military mom Mary Harper. While five of her children, and two son’s in law, were deployed around the world, the central Florida mom learned from her kids that troops didn’t receive many care packages or mail. She rolled up her sleeves and started an informal care package project out of her living room.

Our troops receive the very basic necessities like meals and shelter from the U.S. military, Harper realized the need to boost morale with practical tokens of kindness in the form of snacks, personal care items, entertainment and thank-you notes to men and women stationed around the world.

Her homegrown project grew into a full-fledged nonprofit organization so quickly that after just a few years of operation, Harper was honored at the White House for her work on behalf of the men and women of the armed forces.

Whatever global events shape foreign policy, Mary continues her mission at the Operation Shoebox headquarters in Florida, where the organization ships between 350-400 care packages a week. In 2012, 114 tons of supplies were sent to hardworking members of the U.S. military around the world.

When you give a tax-deductible donation to Operation Shoebox, you can take pride in knowing that 100% of your gift goes directly to shipping costs and care package supplies. Shipping costs for an average month total between $11,000 and $17,000 in postage.
Honor the sacrifices that members of our armed forces make every day by contributing to our mission today.

Our Stores

As a way to raise funds to send our care packages, we have opened a used furniture store and a thrift store. Everything you see in our stores is donated by the generous members of our surrounding community. We have a wide variety of reasonably priced items in both of our stores. In our thrift store you can find anything from clothing and accessories to household items like dishes, silverware and decor. In our furniture store, we have a diverse selection including couches, recliners, dining room tables and bedroom furniture.

All of the proceeds raised in our stores goes to shipping our care packages overseas, by shopping in our stores you are helping us boost the morale of our troops deployed overseas and away from home.

**Due to lack of storage space and demand, we are currently not accepting:

• Large Entertainment Centers

• Pinters

• CRT Televisions (Glass Type)

Thrift Store

8360 East Highway 25
Belleview, FL 34420

Tuesday – Saturday
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Furniture Store

5940 SE Hames Road
Belleview, FL 34420

Tuesday – Friday
9:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Saturday
9:30 AM – 3:00 PM

Operation Shoebox Media Coverage

Operation Shoebox is an independent 501 (c) 3 non profit organization founded in 2003. It is not associated with any of the following:

Operation Shoebox New Jersey

Dino’s Operation Shoebox

Operation Shoebox UK

Operation Shoebox V

Operation Christmas Child

To review assessments of Operation Shoebox as a non profit organization, we invite you to visit the following page: http://www.guidestar.org/organizations/05-0563342/operation-shoebox.aspx