Thank you for the opportunity to introduce our non-profit organization, Operation Juice Box. We began in 2016 during a dark period for law enforcement when anti-sentiment was running painfully high with protests, rioting, and culminating with the horrific deaths of multiple officers in a single incident simply trying to protect the Dallas, Texas community. In the midst of these images it was impossible not to be struck by the faces of children present for these events, and realized the very real possibility that they may have never experienced a positive interaction with a deputy or officer. As a 9-1-1 dispatcher serving a diverse community, I realized more needed to be done than simply sitting around and saying something needed to change, I needed to make a move towards change.
Operation Juice Box was formed as a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting a positive relationship between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve. Our organization provides free juice boxes and other non-perishable goods such as crayons and coloring books, to law enforcement personnel which they, in turn, give to the public, with an emphasis on giving them to children. This simple gift creates a positive interaction and opens a dialogue between law enforcement and the public. The goal is to break down barriers, develop relationships, and instill a positive image of law enforcement in the minds of our youth. At Operation Juice Box our goal is to break down barriers, develop relationships, and instill a positive image of law enforcement in the minds of our youth. All the deputies and officers associated with Operation Juice Box have chosen to do so on a voluntary basis, and to date have handed out over 8,000 juice boxes in the communities they serve. We are extremely proud of having assisted these deputies and officers, along with their respective law enforcement agencies, making this many positive and potentially life changing moments within the community. Starting exclusively by word of mouth, Operation Juice Box is now supported by deputies and officers from Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, as well as law enforcement agencies in Idaho, Illinois, and New York. Service organizations, law enforcement associations, as well as companies and corporations along with private citizens have all recognized the value of Operation Juice Box with donations to continuously supply deputies and officers with juice boxes upon request. In turn, deputies and officers have shared their stories with Operation Juice Box, which we post via our Facebook page and Instagram. The response has simply been incredible in bringing positive and priceless media coverage to their respective agencies.
As written by Deann Hollis, “The heart of a volunteer is never measured in size, but by the depth of commitment to make a difference in the lives of others,” we are always ready to provide deputies and officers with juice boxes to make these connections. The success of Operation Juice Box is based solely on the premise of the volunteer spirit of those deputies and officers who have reached out to us, providing them with the means to connect with the most important and impressionable aspect of our communities, our children. While we always seek the support and endorsement of the law enforcement agencies serving our communities, it is also our goal to support the agencies deputies and officers in our own unique way. We at Operation Juice Box encourage anyone who is interested to see our law enforcement partners success on Facebook and Instagram, or visit our web page at operationjuicebox.com. We are always happy to come to you to answer any questions you may have about how we can assist members of your agency on building better relationships with our youth.
Respectfully,
Chelsea Parham
Founder
Operation Juice Box