Our HISTORY

In November of 2010 Operation Turbo’s founder, Dyan Zurick Smith, and her husband went to tour their niece’s ship, the USS STOUT. During the tour their niece Heather mentioned that many of her fellow shipmates never receive mail or packages while away from home. Dyan’s heart sank and she decided that she could change that. Within 48 hours she had reached out to friends, family, neighbors, clients and anyone she knew who was able to help. Through Facebook, Twitter, email, and paper flyers, Dyan and her husband Jeff got the word out. Their mission had begun.

As their network grew, they decided to name it in honor of their niece. On the ship, the job Heather had in engineering was sometimes called "Turbo”.  Because she worked vigorously to ensure that the notes and goodies were distributed throughout the crew, it seemed an appropriate honor. Through Dyan’s network and Heather’s work on the ship, Operation Turbo set out to ensure that every sailor onboard would receive a note of gratitude and something special from back home. This was only the beginning.

In 2012 we organized “Operation Turbo: Afghanistan” with the help of a Marine named Rachel. Over a three week period we shipped over 55 “Boxes of Home” that included everything from notes to Girl Scout Cookies. Unable to come home for the holidays, the marine unit was able to enjoy gifts from an appreciative citizenry.

Operation Turbo has grown every year since. We have continued to send our “Boxes of Home” to deployed US Military members around the world, with a focus on those that might not otherwise receive mail. Our plan for continued growth will ensure that we are serving our deployed US military as long as they need us. We hope you will join us in this effort!

There are many ways to get involved. We hope that you will reach out and contact us should you, your family, or organization wish to contribute notes of thanks and gratitude. All donations for our “Boxes of Home” are welcome and tax deductible. We would not be able to support the brave men and women who continue to serve without your generosity. Thank you, and together let’s ensure that all deployed service members receive “Boxes of Home.”

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