Operation USA

Operation USA (aka Operation California, In.)
Founded1979, with its California incorporation date in May 1980
FounderRichard M. Walden
FocusDisaster relief, Disaster recovery, Health, Education, Youth Programs, Food Security, Long-term rebuilding
Location
  • Los Angeles, California
Area served
Global
Key people
Richard M. Walden, President and CEO

Board Members:
Julie Andrews
Jonathan Estrin
Gary Larsen
Skip Whitney
Bob Johnson
Maria Mohiuddin Verjee
Drew Hagen
Dr. Stanley Frileck
Michael Mahdesian(Chairman)
Jeff Franklin
Rosario Dawson
Rick Allen
Peter Greenberg
Julie Yannatta
Websitewww.opusa.org

Operation USA (also known as OpUSA, Operation California, or OpCal) is a non profit humanitarian organization supporting health, education and relief programs at home and abroad in order to help children and families recover and thrive in the wake of disasters. Working with grassroots community organizations, OpUSA strives to help the most overlooked and under-served communities. It is exclusively privately funded, receiving no assistance from the United States federal government. OPUSA had a revenue of over $2.6 million in fiscal year 2019, and since 1979 has delivered more than $400 million in aid to 100 countries.[1]

Awards and affiliations

Operation USA was part of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines in 1997 when it won the Nobel Peace Prize.[2][3] Operation California was also the winner of the 1983 President's Volunteer Action Award.[3] Operation USA has been named one of America's Best 100 Charities by Worth Magazine[4] and, in October 2008, was named the top-rated "exclusively privately funded charity in the U.S."[5] by Charity Navigator. Operation USA collaborated with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the US National Laboratories at Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos to develop new approaches to land mine detection,[6] is a member of InterAction,[4] and is an AlertNet news partner.[7] In 2014 Operation USA's CEO Richard M. Walden received the Honeywell Hometown Hero Award from the Honeywell Corp.

History

Operation California began in 1979 as "a relief organization created to provide aid to Vietnamese Boat People and Cambodian refugees",[8] co-founded by Richard Walden (still active as President & CEO) and Llewellyn Werner (who left in early 1980). The organization flew "the first international relief airlift to Cambodia since 1975",[9] delivering medicine to Phnom-Penh. Operation California had airlifted more than $3 million worth of aid by October 1979.[10][11][12][13]

In 1982, Operation California sent "the first private airlift from the U.S. to Poland", delivering 200,000 lbs. of medical supplies and medicine;[14] that year Operation California also airlifted medical supplies to Lebanon.[15] In 1983, Operation California delivered aid to the children of Vietnam and Cambodia.[16] Operation California provided aid to the earthquake victims in Mexico City in 1985,[17] as well as working in cooperation with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and Oxfam America, to deliver $250,000 worth of medical aid to Nicaragua.[18][19] In 1986 Operation California, in conjunction with Medical Aid to El Salvador, sent "[t]wo cargo planes carrying $500,000 worth of relief supplies to earthquake-stricken El Salvador".[20] In 1988, Operation California began using the name Operation USA because it better described the effort and intent of the organization to represent the entire American people.[9] In 1989 Operation USA facilitated operations on children in Vietnam who had cleft palates by a Los Angeles-based plastic surgeon, Dr Stanley Frileck.[21]

Medical aid and rebuilding effort was delivered to Mexico in 1990, by OPUSA.[22] In 1991 OPUSA delivered aid to Bangladesh.[23] OpUSA delivered aid to war torn Somali's in 1993.[24] In 1994 OpUSA provided earthquake relief.[25] In 1999 the organization provided aid to Hurricane Mitch survivors in Honduras and Nicaragua.[26] In 1999 also OpUSA supplied aid to storm victims in Mexico.[27]

In 2003 OpUSA delivered aid to Iraq War victims in the Persian Gulf.[28] The tsunami victims in Sri Lanka and Indonesia were aided by OpUSA in 2004,[29] as well as the Mexico City Flood victims.[17] In 2008, OpUSA has delivered aid to Myanmar cyclone victims[30] as well as Chinese earthquake victims[31] and flood victims in the Midwest, USA.[32] In 2015, OpUSA partnered with UniversalGiving and United Airlines to raise funds for its Nepal Earthquake recovery project, rebuilding a school in Fyakse, in the Dhading district. In 2017, OpUSA launched relief efforts helping communities impacted by an unprecedented string of disasters, including Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma, and California wildfires. In 2018, OpUSA delivered cash grants and supplies to aid communities impacted by Hurricanes Florence and Michael in the eastern US.

In 2020, OpUSA began responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States by delivering cash and supplies to partners aiding front line workers. [33]

Celebrity affiliates

Operation USA, since the early 1980s, has relied on fundraising efforts featuring singers and celebrities. These include concerts, dinners, and other events. These promotions have featured:

Rosario Dawson travelled with Operation USA to Nicaragua in 2008. George Hamilton assisted with relief to The Philippines Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 as did Barbra Streisand, Rosario Dawson, Jackson Browne, Bill Maher and Judd Apatow.

Film and theater projects

Operation USA also relies on film and theater promotions to generate funds that pay for aid, including:

  • Because We Care (CBS Television Special)[42]
  • Beyond Borders (Hollywood)[43]
  • Buena Vista Social Club (film) (Hollywood & Havana)[41]
  • Fidel (film) (Hollywood for Showtime)
  • Mary Poppins (musical) (London stage)
  • Miss Saigon (Hollywood)
  • Roll Bounce[44]
  • The Killing Fields (film) (Hollywood & Cambodia)[45]
  • Victor/Victoria (Broadway)
  • Eloise at The Plaza (Disney TV)

References

  1. ↑ {{cite web | url = http://www.opusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/OpUSA_2019_AnnualReportFINAL.pdf | title = OpUSA Annual Report | access-date = 2020-01-01 | work = Operation USA "Charity Navigator - Operation USA". Charity Navigator. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
  2. ↑ Robert Scheer (1997-10-14). "Banning Land Mines Is a No-Brainer; Clinton still has time to find his backbone, follow his instincts and sign the Ottawa treaty". Los Angeles Times. p. 7. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  3. 1 2 3 Kenneth Jones (2005-10-24). "Tony Adams, Film, TV and Stage Producer, Dead at 52". Playbill News. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
  4. 1 2 "Operation USA Affiliations and Awards". Operation USA. Archived from the original on 2006-10-02. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
  5. ↑ "10 Highly Rated Charities Relying on Private Contributions". Charity Navigator. Retrieved 2009-02-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. 1 2 Amy Fredette (1996-03-06). "Operation Jackson Browne". Arizona Daily Wildcat. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
  7. ↑ "Reuters AlertNet - News partners". Reuters. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
  8. ↑ Freeman, Rena (1980-06-11). "Human Kindness". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  9. 1 2 "Operation USA history". Operation USA. Archived from the original on 2008-03-29. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  10. ↑ ROBERT J. CAMPBELL (1979-10-25). "Students Form Group to Aid Cambodia: Plan Lobbying, Petitions, Fast, and Concert". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  11. ↑ "Operation California Bidding a Benefit". Time Magazine. 1979-12-10. Archived from the original on October 22, 2010. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  12. ↑ "Brown Assails 'Neglect' In Relief for Cambodia". The New York Times. 1979-12-06. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  13. ↑ "There Is Nothing, Monsieur". Time Magazine. 1979-12-10. Archived from the original on November 16, 2007. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  14. ↑ "Operation California Bidding a Benefit". PR Newswire. 1982-02-17. p. LexisNexis. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  15. ↑ KATHLEEN HENDRIX (1989-09-12). "Airlift to Beirut: Relief and Red Tape. Operation California Finally Manages to Get Medical Supplies to Lebanon". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  16. ↑ Jody Jacobs (1983-11-02). "Operation California Bidding a Benefit". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  17. 1 2 "Operation USA Appeals For Public Support To Aid Victims Of South Mexico Floods". Reuters. 2007-11-03. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  18. ↑ "Aid for Nicaragua". The Washington Post. 1985-07-06. p. A14. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
  19. ↑ "No Title". PR Newswire. 1985-07-03. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
  20. ↑ "Quake Relief Groups Allowed To Land At San Salvador Airport". The Associated Press. 1986-10-18. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
  21. ↑ "U.S. medical team operates on Vietnamese children". United Press International. 1989-03-15. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
  22. ↑ Shannon, Don (1990-06-01). Los Angeles Times. p. 14 https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/60065143.html?dids=60065143:60065143&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jun+01%2C+1990&author=DON+SHANNON&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext). Retrieved 2008-06-05. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  23. ↑ Ferrell, David (2007-05-04). "Burnout Hits Relief Network Too many catastrophes abroad and too many burdens at home are blamed for the lackluster public response to recent appeals for help". Los Angeles Times. p. 1. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  24. ↑ Kelleher, Kathleen (1993-01-10). "Mission to Somalia Poses Danger for Relief Worker Famine: Operation USA's Neil Frame will take medical supplies gathered by the L.A.-based relief agency to field hospitals in the war-torn African nation". Los Angeles Times. p. 1. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  25. ↑ Bryant, Rebecca (1994-02-12). "Donations Sought in Quake Relief Effort". Los Angeles Times. p. 2. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  26. ↑ Banks, Sandy (1998-11-17). "Reach Out to Lift Up Hurricane Survivors". Los Angeles Times. p. 1. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  27. ↑ Cardenas, Jose (1999-10-19). "Sending a Rainbow of Relief After the Floods; For many Southland Latinos, aiding Mexico's storm victims is a means of honoring homeland ties". Los Angeles Times. p. 1. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  28. ↑ "AID GROUPS AMASS RELIEF GEAR". Long Beach Press-Telegram. 2003-03-19. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  29. ↑ "GROUP READIES AID". Long Beach Press-Telegram. 2004-12-30. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  30. ↑ "Los Angeles Based Operation USA Appeals for Funds to Aid in Myanmar (Burmese) Cyclone Disaster". Fox Business Network. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  31. ↑ "Operation USA Responded to Earthquake Devastation in Sichuan, China; Agency Appealed for Funds to Rebuild Schools and Clinics, which, as of September 2010, it had rebuilt 2 large primary schools outside Chengdu and 5 village level health clinics outside Chongqing". PR Newswire. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  32. ↑ "Operation USA Aided Midwest Flood Victims. Earthquakes in Haiti (2010) and Chile (2010) as well as flooding in Pakistan (2010) also generated major relief actions by Operation USA including the construction of a $1 million primary school in Jacmel, Haiti. After the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Operation USA a seniors activity center (1) in partnership with Honeywell Hometown Solutions after air and sea shipping emergency relief to partner agencies. The Gap provided 119,000 winter garments for northern Japan through Operation USA. In 2013, Operation USA aided victims of Hurricane Sandy in New York and New Jersey and tornado victims in Oklahoma City. As 2014 is underway, a major new project involves the Native American Reservation at Pine Ridge, South Dakota and projects in Henan Province, China". AlertNet. Retrieved 2008-06-26.
  33. ↑ http://www.opusa.org/covid-19-coronavirus-response/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  34. 1 2 3 4 Russ Baker (2002-03-31). "Resourceful man of mercy". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 16. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
  35. 1 2 3 4 Jim Lipson (1996-03-06). "Music: Regaining Consciousness". Tucson Weekly. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
  36. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Richard S. Ginell (1986-08-11). "PLACIDO DOMINGO PUTS HIS VOICE TO WORK". Daily News of Los Angeles. p. 13. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
  37. ↑ Daniel Southerland (1982-01-26). "Foreign aid, Hollywood-style: cut red tape, go to the top". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
  38. 1 2 GEORGE RUSH AND JOANNA MOLLOY (1995-10-23). "Berth Announcement: These Babies Have It All". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
  39. ↑ Bill Higgins (1991-10-22). "Operation USA Raises $200,000 at Benefit". Los Angeles Times. p. 3. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
  40. ↑ Kathy Blumenstock (2007-01-26). "Her newest role: Surprised recipient; Julie Andrews will receive the Screen Actors Guild's 43rd Life Achievement Award on Sunday". Los Angeles Times. p. E15. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
  41. 1 2 3 Bill Higgins (1999-01-06). "And justice for all musicians: 'Club' features Cooder and Havana Musicians". Variety. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
  42. ↑ ANDREW EPSTEIN (1980-03-16). "BENEFIT TV SHOW RAISES $1 MILLION". The Los Angeles Times. p. 1. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
  43. ↑ "USC Annenberg School for Communication to Host Special Screening on USC Campus Of Paramount Pictures' 'Beyond Borders'". PR Newswire. 2003-09-25. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
  44. ↑ Janice Page (2005-09-03). "'Roll Bounce' slides back to the '70s with an earnest, feel-good vibe". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
  45. ↑ "Real-Life Participants Of "The Killing Fields" To Hold Press Conference". PR Newswire. 1984-11-13. Retrieved 2008-06-09.

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