LI's Fountaingate Gardens Residents Pack Care Kits For Active Military

COMMACK, NY — Fountaingate Gardens Life Plan Community marked Memorial Day by partnering with Operation Gratitude to support deployed military personnel and first responders, according to a news release.

Members of the new independent living community packed care kits filled with personal hygiene essentials, including mouthwash, breath mints, floss and ChapStick, to boost the morale and well-being of service members.

Operation Gratitude provides opportunities for the American people to express their gratitude and show the military and first responders that what they do matters. Since 2003, with the help of its nationwide network of volunteers, Operation Gratitude has sent a total of four million care packages containing carefully chosen items to service members and give them warm reminders of home. The care packages are meant to boost morale and resilience.

The operation sends up to 200K care packages per year, and it is committed to growing that number to over 1 million per year by 2027.

According to John Mastacciuola, vice president and executive director of Fountaingate Gardens, the initiative was sparked by the community members’ desire to find a thoughtful and impactful way to observe Memorial Day.

"Working with Operation Gratitude to support those who are currently serving our country felt like a natural and powerful way to mark such a somber day," Mastacciuola said in a news release. "We were pleased to be part of the effort and to be able to express our gratitude in such a meaningful way."

The project was met with overwhelming enthusiasm by the Fountaingate Gardens community.

"We were really moved by how much everyone enjoyed participating," said community member Jill Shack. "There’s a strong appetite among our members for giving back, and we’re excited to build on the momentum that has started with Operation Gratitude."

Plans are underway to establish a dedicated volunteer group that will spearhead philanthropic efforts, ranging from fundraising to hands-on community support.