OA Glynn County 2017

Operation Appreciation: Glynn County is a local Christmas season toy drive based in the Brunswick and St. Simons Island, GA area. We welcome any and all donations to help ensure that families can have a better Christmas. The idea started in the fall of 2015 when I realized that I wouldn’t be able to make it back home to see my family on Christmas day because of my work schedule.
This was the first time that I wasn’t able to be with them on Christmas. After initially being somewhat disappointed about it, I realized that I have absolutely no reason to be anything other than grateful. I also realized that this area is where I call home now. So instead of being letdown I decided that I should in turn be doing more in the community and decided to take action and create Operation Appreciation. The amount of support it received in it’s first year was absolutely overwhelming.
I took everything from cash donations, gift cards, used toys, new toys, and also had an online donations page set up which at the time was simply run through my personal Facebook page. It was such a fantastic and rewarding experience that I felt led to make this an annual event. After the success in it’s initial season, Operation Appreciation took a paramount jump in year two. 2016 became the year that has paved the way to what you are seeing now. OA has now grown into a certified .org nonprofit charity in which all donations can be officially written off. Year two saw not only the birth of a website, but also the beginning of a square account with a chip reader so that any donations can be made in person instantly with a debit/credit card. And to top it all off we partnered with Two Brothers Bike Shop in the St. Simons Pier Village as a local drop off location for anyone that wants to donate toys in person. Year two became bigger and better and I know that year three will be nothing short of even more amazing. We have such an amazing community in the Glynn County area and helping turn a local child’s Christmas that may be otherwise lackluster or possibly even nonexistent into a day that they will never forget has become one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
This year I hope that Operation Appreciation: Glynn County can reach even more local families and that more children can have a better Christmas because of just a small amount of effort and contribution.

God Bless
Blake Hughes, Founder