Well-known business leader Mitch Goldstone has organized “Operation Photo,” a humanitarian campaign for military members and their families. Operation Photo reaches out to all digital camera users requesting donations of used but working cameras. The cameras will provide military families a way to keep in touch with loved ones through digital pictures, and will especially help deployed parents who are away from their children for long periods of time.
“These digital cameras will go to military families here [in America] so they can take pictures of their families and send [them] to their loved ones overseas,” Goldstone told the Chicago Tribune. “I want people to open their appliance drawers, pull out their older digital cameras and share them with the families.”
This is not Goldstoneโs first national grassroots initiative. His efforts have also been seen through www.epiccusa.com, which brought thousands of people to New York City to support the airlines and commerce after 9/11. His hope with Operation Photo is to raise ten thousand used digital cameras by Valentineโs Day. As president and CEO of www.30minphotos.com, he is giving out a $25 gift certificate from his business, to those donating a digital camera. Donators will also receive a tax write-off for the value of their camera.
Operation Homefront, the national non-profit who serves military families of deployed servicemembers, will be distributing the cameras as part of their communications program. All the donated digital cameras will be packaged for distribution to military bases and military family support organizations across the nation; each camera will include a special 40 percent discount for ordering Kodak-quality photos from www.30minphotos.com. Servicemembers abroad can also use the company’s free photo sharing service to send pictures back home and order real photos too. All orders are ready in minutes and mailed back across the U.S. the same business day when received prior to 6:10 PM (ET).
โWe are thrilled about this program, it will enhance the visual communication between military families and deployed spouses,โ says Ernie Leidiger, Executive Director of Operation Homefront. โWe currently have a computer distribution program that recycles good pre-owned computers to young military families in need, the digital cameras provide for a great add-on to the email communications. Dads and Moms serving overseas can share pictures and changes that happen in their families while theyโre gone. Many military families canโt afford this luxury. Enhancing communications between families helps alleviate problems and loneliness from occurring.โ
Article originally published on Military.com, link no longer available