Operation Showers of Appreciation

Operation Showers of Appreciation - Phoenix/Chandler Shower

2012-02-06T14:37:00.000-08:00

OSOA is happy to announce our Phoenix/Chandler shower on Saturday March 31st.

The shower will be held at the The Boys & Girls Club of the East Valley – Compadre Branch in Chandler, AZ.

Registration is open up to E1-E7, O1, CWO1. Priority is given to those families E1-E5. All others are determined by space available in the shower and the needs of the family. Moms currently expecting and babies no older than 3 months.

Please apply online at: http://www.formstack.com/forms/?1128421-1Lpob5u4sh

As part of the Online registration you will be requested to upload a copy of your LES and our Verification Form which must be signed off by the service members Supervisor. The moms who have been chosen for our March 31^st shower will be notified after March 1^st via e-mail.

Submitting an application for assistance does not guarantee you will be selected to participate in an Operation Showers of Appreciation Baby Shower. Families are selected to participate based on the following:

Due Date

Date Completed Application for Assistance Received

Information provided in the “Tell us about your family” section

Rank

This shower will be small so we encourage everyone to apply ASAP.

Any questions about the application process or your application please contact our Expecting Mom Coordinator Karmen at Karmen@osoamil.org

Individuals or companies wishing to donate items or volunteer please contact Angie Martin - Operation Showers of Appreciation Phoenix Shower Coordinator at 530-363-2464 or via e-mail at rsphoenix_fra@yahoo.com .

Southern California Shower Donations Needed!

2012-02-04T13:38:00.000-08:00

Camp Pendleton, CA – Operation Showers of Appreciation along with Pala Casino, have joined forces to provide a military baby shower for expecting mothers in the Southern California area. The shower will be held on Saturday February 25th, 2012 at Pala Casino Spa & Resort for approximately 27 new and expecting mothers who have active duty partners or are active-duty servicewomen. The event will include food and gifts from the local community.

Operation Showers of Appreciation is excited to be partnering with Pala Casino. This shower will help military expecting mothers and their families receive the items needed when caring for their newborns.

“We are so excited to spoil 27 local military moms,” said Kimberly Felshaw, President of Operation Showers of Appreciation. "New motherhood is challenging enough under ideal circumstances, so being able to support and lift up these mothers while their partners are deployed is just fantastic. It helps ensure moms have what they need, and reassures deployed dads that their loved ones are cared for so that they can focus on their mission."

"As the closest casino to Camp Pendleton, we have always considered the Marine Corps to be part of the Pala family. When family members are representing our country far from home, it is a stressful time for everyone. Operation Showers of Appreciation is a terrific program. We are proud to be part of it and hope all Marine Corps families can be re-united as soon as possible," said Bill Bembenek, Pala's chief executive officer.

Individuals or companies wishing to donate items or volunteer please contact Kimberly Felshaw, Operation Showers of Appreciation Southern California Shower Coordinator/CEO at 949-547-7780 or via e-mail at Kimberly@osoamil.org.

Storksak Diaper Bag Donation THANK YOU

2012-02-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

We want to thank our friends at Storksak for donating diaper bags for our expecting military moms. We appreciate your kind donation!

http://www.storksak.com/home.php?home=home

Babymel Diaper Bags Donation THANK YOU

2012-02-04T13:23:00.000-08:00

We want to thank our friends at Babymel for donating diaper bags for our expecting military moms. We appreciate your kind donation! http://www.babymel.com/home.php?home=yes

PediPed Baby Shoe Donation THANK YOU

2012-02-04T13:19:00.000-08:00

We want to thank our friends at PediPed for donating baby shoes for our expecting military moms. We appreciate your kind donation! http://www.pediped.com/

Fort Bragg, North Carolina shower success!

2012-01-31T09:28:00.000-08:00

Operation Showers of Appreciation had our first military baby shower at Fort Bragg, NC. The shower was at 301 N. Dougherty Dr. (Corregidor Courts/Bougainville Neighborhood Center) at 2pm on Saturday January 21st. A huge thank you to new mom Alice Wilks who also served as Operation Showers of Appreciation Fort Bragg Baby Shower Coordinator. This shower would not have happened without the various donors and volunteers who were so generous by spoiling our 9 expecting military moms.

Boba Wrap Thank You

2012-01-28T09:36:00.000-08:00

We want to thank our friends at Boba for donating a wrap for one of our expecting military moms. We appreciate your kind donaiton! http://www.bobafamily.com/

Baby Shower Coordinators Needed Across the US

2012-01-15T09:42:00.000-08:00

We are still confirming our schedule of showers for 2012. As always we are in need of volunteers who are interested in hosting/supporting/coordinating a shower in local areas across the country. For those interested in hosting a shower in their area or for more details on what is expected as an OSOA baby shower coordinator please email us at info@osoamil.org

Christmas and New Year's Baby Recap Mike O'Callaghan Hospital

2012-01-03T10:10:00.000-08:00

A HUGE Thank You to Wounded Warrior wife and Classy & Sassy Rep Stacy McMahon for her gracious donation of jewelry (baby bracelet, earrings and necklace for mom). "Proudly giving back to elevate the lives of those affected by spinal cord injuries. Check out the R.A.G.E. Foundation (Rebuilding All Goals Efficiently) www.bteamrage.org" candsjewelry.com

Congrats to the Stine Family of Las Vegas! Baby Shane made his arrival on Christmas Day at 2:40pm. He was 7lbs and 11oz and delivered by Dr. Snow (Love the Doctor's name since it was Christmas). The Stine family was the recipient of our OSOA baby basket as they were the 1st Christmas Baby Born at Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital! Congrats to the Stine family and to everyone who donated to these holiday gift baskets!


A big Thank You to Nellis AFB wife Ashlie for her gorgeous donation of fairy wings and hair bows for the New Year's Baby Girl Basket. Check out her awesome website that features her Custom Fairy wings, pre-made wings, fluffy fairy tutus, glittering wands and so much more at: http://dualfantasystudios2.com/


Major Ginette Damus poses with the New Years Baby Baskets upstairs at the 99th Medical Group Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital on December 31st.

Happy New Year from OSOA

2012-01-01T01:01:00.000-08:00

Hotel - Alpha - Papa - Papa - Yankee - November - Echo - Whiskey - Yankee - Echo - Alpha - Romeo! Wishing our Military Families, Donors and Volunteers a Wonderful 2012!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T10:07:00.000-08:00

Though many of you may not have your service members home, We hope you all have a great Christmas. Know that we are always thinking of your family and praying for their safe return.

SEVEN everyday slings-Free Slings (Just Pay Shipping) Donate a sling today!

2011-12-15T21:40:00.000-08:00

Seven slings has their 100% off deal going on now. Yes, that is FREE, just pay shipping which is cheap! Go to their website and use code: CHRISTMAS.

Seven Everyday Slings www.sevenslings.com

‎

*Shipping and processing will vary based on shipping location and $1.00 per each additional item.

We would love anyone who can order your FREE sling to ship it to Courtney (Donations Coordinator) whose address is listed below.

Courtney Hilborn

4492 S. Agave Avenue

Yuma, AZ 85365

We’d love to have wonderful donations of slings from the community that we can then give to our expecting military moms at future OSOA baby showers.

Travis Air Force Base shower donations needed!

2011-12-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

Travis AFB, CA – Operation Showers of Appreciation along with Balfour Beatty Community, have joined forces to provide a military baby shower for expecting spouses at Travis Air Force Base. The shower will be held on Saturday January 14th, 2012 at the Community Center at Travis Air Force Base for approximately 20 new and expecting mothers who have active duty partners or are active-duty servicewomen. All military branches of services are invited to participate. The event will include food and gifts from the local community.

Operation Showers of Appreciation is excited to be partnering with Balfour Beatty Community. This shower will help military expecting mothers and their families receive the items needed when caring for their newborns.

“This shower is a new endeavor for our organization here at Travis Air Force Base,” said Kimberly Felshaw, President of Operation Showers of Appreciation. "New motherhood is challenging enough under ideal circumstances, so being able to support and lift up these mothers while their partners are deployed is just fantastic. It helps ensure moms have what they need, and reassures deployed dads that their loved ones are cared for so that they can focus on their mission."

Members of the community are encouraged to drop off their new unwrapped baby items to 695 Valley View Way, Travis AFB, CA 94535 or to contact Michsella Ory, Operation Showers of Appreciation Travis AFB Shower Coordinator for pick up.

Any military expecting mothers who are active duty service women, spouses of active duty, Reserve or National Guard who are expecting between September 1st and March 1st, 2012 can register now for the January 14th, 2012 shower at www.osoamil.org.

Individuals or companies wishing to donate items or volunteer please contact Michsella Ory, Operation Showers of Appreciation Travis AFB Shower Coordinator at 707-430-2520 or via e-mail at Mamacub150@yahoo.com.

Operation Showers of Appreciation – Puts together special gift basket from the community for the First Baby born at Mike O’Callaghan Federal Hospital at Nellis AFB

2011-12-10T15:00:00.000-08:00

Las Vegas, NV – Operation Showers of Appreciation is excited to support and celebrate the birth of 2012’s first military baby born in Southern Nevada. Each year the badge of honor is given to the first baby born. To help celebrate this special birth, we are asking for the communities assistance in putting a special gift basket toget for the First Baby born at Mike O’Callaghan Federal Hospital at Nellis AFB. With your help, we can truly make this a special day for the family. We are accept gift certificates, restaurant gift certificates, purchased and handmade baby items as well as useful items like a stroller, car seat, diapers etc.

The majority of the women are first-time moms or expecting multiples. Due to constant deployments many of these expecting mothers will be giving birth while their husbands are deployed in combat areas such as Afghanistan. In addition to an afternoon of food and games the most important opportunity for many of these new moms is to be surrounded by other women in the exact same situation as they celebrate the births of their new babies.

“This will be the first time we will be assisting to put together a New Year’s Baby basket in the Las Vegas valley,” said Kimberly Felshaw, President of Operation Showers of Appreciation. "We look forward to supporting these New families in 2012 and are honored in collecting and providing needed baby items for our military families."

Individuals or companies wishing to donate items please contact Jody Shervanick, PR and Las Vegas baby shower coordinator at 702.862.6064 or email pr@osoamil.org. Donations of baby items can be handmade or purchased. There is a need for diapers, bath essentials, bath tubs, bottles, teethers, bedding, socks, shoes and toys.

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About Operation Showers of Appreciation Operation Showers of Appreciation is a 501 c non-profit tax-exempt organization, whose mission is to honor our military families in a unique way by showering them with gifts for their newborn babies, providing support during difficult times, and letting them know the many sacrifices both the families and service members make are appreciated. For more information about Operation Showers of Appreciation, please visit www.osoamil.org.

Operation Showers of Appreciation – Puts together special gift baskets from the community for the First Baby born at Mike O’Callaghan Federal Hospital at Nellis AFB on Christmas and New Years Day

2011-12-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

Las Vegas, NV – Operation Showers of Appreciation is excited to support and celebrate the birth of 2012’s first military baby born in Southern Nevada. Each year the badge of honor is given to the first baby born. To help celebrate this special birth, we are asking for the community’s assistance in putting a special gift basket together for the First Baby born at Mike O’Callaghan Federal Hospital at Nellis AFB. With your help, we can truly make this a special day for the family. Operation Showers of Appreciation will also be providing a baby gift basket for the first baby born on Christmas Day. We are accepting gift certificates, restaurant gift certificates, purchased and handmade baby items as well as useful items like a stroller, car seat, diapers etc.

“This will be the first time we will be assisting to put together a Christmas and New Year’s baby basket in the Las Vegas valley,” said Kimberly Felshaw, President of Operation Showers of Appreciation. "We look forward to supporting these New families in 2012 and are honored in collecting and providing needed baby items for our military families."

Individuals or companies wishing to donate items please contact Jody Shervanick, PR and Las Vegas baby shower coordinator at 702.862.6064 or via email at pr@osoamil.org. Donations of baby items can be handmade or purchased. No item is to small or not appreciated. There is a need for diapers, bath essentials, bottles, teethers and bedding.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T07:58:00.000-08:00

At this time of year, we have so much to be thankful for! At OSOA we are thankful for you, our friends, our volunteers, our donors and our supporters who are helping us shower expecting military families in our communities. We remember those who are not with their loved ones this holiday and hope they are safe and will come home soon to their families and friends. We thank and honor those who serve and care for others less fortunate, especially during these difficult times and pray for their strength and guidance as we all hope and pray that better days lie ahead. We are grateful for the opportunity to spend time in the company of heroic families. We wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Usborne Book Fundraiser for OSOA

2011-11-17T19:06:00.001-08:00

One of our baby shower moms Jillian Romag is hosting an online Book Fair Fundraiser for OSOA. When you order books through this website link you’ll be helping to provide a book for one of our future baby shower moms! This online registration will be going on from now until December 20th! Help purchase an educational holiday gift and help expecting military families too!

www.myubam.com/HOS209133

Halo donates 150 sleep sacks for expecting military families!

2011-11-08T11:54:00.000-08:00

Operation Showers of Appreciation wants to thank our friends at Halo for donating 150 sleep sacks for our expecting military families! HALO's mission is simple: To make sure that every baby sleeps safely.

Halo’s founder Bill Schmid and his wife lost their firstborn to SIDS. From this tragedy, HALO and its mission were born. For over 15 years they've been educating parents about safe sleep practices and supporting non-profit organizations like First Candle/SIDS Alliance and The Canadian Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths. Since 2005, the American Academy of Pediatrics has suggested the use of wearable blankets. Today, HALO SleepSack wearable blankets are the #1 trusted choice of hospitals, and are used nationwide to help babies sleep safely from the start.

HALO is also working with hundreds of hospitals nationwide via their Safer Way to Sleep® Initiative to educate parents on safe sleep practices and provide HALO SleepSack wearable blankets to NICU and hospital nurseries to model safe sleep practices.

Check out their great products: HALO® SleepSack® Wearable Blanket; HALO® SleepSack® Swaddle; HALO® Cotton Layette; HALO® ComfortLuxe™ Sleepwear

HALO products are carried by fine retailers nationwide, to find one near you, visit http://www.HALORetailers.com/

Photos above are of our expecting military moms opening their Halo sleep sacks from our Riverside, California Baby Shower.

Southern California (Camp Pendleton, 29 Palms, March AFB and Miramar) military baby shower announced on February 25th, 2012 in honor of Allysa Felshaw

2011-11-08T08:09:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, February 25th our third annual Allysa Victoria Felshaw Memorial Operation Showers of Appreciation Baby Shower will take place. Allysa was born on February 24, 2005 and died Thursday, March 17, 2005, at San Diego Hospice. CEO Kimberly Felshaw was in desperate need of solace in March 2005 after the death of her 3-week-old Allysa-born with a terminal condition-when a joyful memory came back: The baby shower their church had thrown for Felshaw and husband Josh, a Marine sergeant. “That perfect strangers would help was overwhelming,” says Felshaw, a former Marine. Through Operation Showers of Appreciation, she has assisted thousands of expecting military families and we are excited to help more in Southern California.

The shower in honor of Allysa will be held at Pala Casino from 1-3pm. This shower is only for expecting moms who are stationed in Southern California (Camp Pendleton, 29 Palms, March AFB and Miramar).

To be eligible for our February 25th shower you must:

Be expecting ONLY between January 1st, 2012-May 31st, 2012. Those expecting in June of 2012 or later will not be considered.
Be an active duty service woman or spouse of an enlisted man with rank of E1-E5.
Be living at or in the surrounding areas of Camp Pendleton, 29 Palms and Miramar. Those living in another state will not be considered.

If these requirements pertain to you then please apply online at: CLICK HERE to register for our Southern California Shower. As part of the Online registration you will be requested to upload a copy of your LES and our Verification Form which must be signed off by the service members First Shirt/Supervisor. We will accept online registrations for our February 25th shower up until January 15th. Those moms who have been chosen for our February 25th shower will be notified by January 20th via e-mail.

Submitting an application for assistance does not guarantee you will be selected to participate in an Operation Showers of Appreciation Baby Shower. Families are selected to participate based on the following:

Due Date
Date Completed Application for Assistance Received
Information provided in the “Tell us about your family” section
Rank

This shower will be small so we encourage everyone to apply ASAP.

Las Vegas Sweet Tomatoes FUN-rasier on Tuesday 11/29/2011

2011-11-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

Las Vegas residents please join us at Sweet Tomatoes for a FUN-raiser on November 29th. Bring the attached flyer with you and Sweet Tomatoes will donate a part of your purchase to OSOA when you present this flyer at the register. Only redeemable at the Rainbow & Lake Mead location (2080 N. Rainbow Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89108-7049).

Please CLICK HERE and bring this flyer with you to Sweet Tomatoes!

Travis Air Force Base shower announced on Saturday January 14th.

2011-10-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

We are very happy to announce our first shower at Travis AFB on Saturday January 14th. The shower will be held at the Community Center-1000 First St. Travis AFB. This shower is only for new and expecting moms who are stationed at or near Travis AFB.

To be eligible for our January 14th shower you must:

Be expecting ONLY between September 1st, 2011-May 31st, 2012. Those expecting in June of 2012 or later will not be considered.
Be an active duty service woman or spouse of an enlisted man with ranks of E1-E5.Higher ranking individuals will be considered on a case by case basis.
Be living at or in the surrounding areas of Travis AFB. Those living in another state will not be considered.

If these requirements pertain to you then please apply online at: CLICK HERE to register for our Travis AFB Baby Shower. As part of the Online registration you will be requested to upload a copy of your LES and our Verification Form which must be signed off by the service members First Shirt/Supervisor. We will accept online registrations for our January 14th shower up until December 1st. The moms who have been chosen for our January 14th shower will be notified by December 7th via e-mail.

Submitting an application for assistance does not guarantee you will be selected to participate in an Operation Showers of Appreciation Baby Shower. Families are selected to participate based on the following:

Due Date
Date Completed Application for Assistance Received
Information provided in the “Tell us about your family” section
Rank

This shower will be small so we encourage everyone to apply ASAP. For those who already applied using our old registration forms you do not have to apply again. We have your information. If you want to confirm please contact our expecting mom coordinator Karmen at Karmen@osoamil.org

Contact: For more information or volunteer opportunities, please contact: Michsella Ory, Operation Showers of Appreciation Travis AFB Shower Coordinator at 707-430-2520 or via e-mail at Mamacub150@yahoo.com

Fort Bragg, North Carolina Shower scheduled for January 21st

2011-10-28T05:44:00.000-07:00

We are very happy to announce our first shower at Fort Bragg on Saturday, January 21st. The shower will be held at the Corregidor Courts/Bougainville Neighborhood Center at 2pm. This shower is only for expecting moms who are stationed at Fort Bragg, NC as well as Pope AFB.

To be eligible for our January 21st shower you must:

Be expecting ONLY between February 1st, 2012-June 30th, 2012. Those expecting in July of 2012 or later will not be considered.
Be an active duty service woman or spouse of an enlisted man with rank of E1-E5. (Those with a higher rank will be considered on space availability basis).
Be living at or in the surrounding areas of Fort Bragg, NC & Pope AFB. Those living in another state will not be considered.

If these requirements pertain to you then please apply online at: CLICK HERE to register for our Fort Bragg Baby Shower.. As part of the Online registration you will be requested to upload a copy of your LES and our Verification Form which must be signed off by the service members First Shirt/Supervisor. We will accept online registrations for our January 21st shower up until January 6th. Those moms who have been chosen for our January 21st shower will be notified by January 7th via e-mail.

Submitting an application for assistance does not guarantee you will be selected to participate in an Operation Showers of Appreciation Baby Shower. Families are selected to participate based on the following:

Due Date
Date Completed Application for Assistance Received
Information provided in the “Tell us about your family” section
Rank

This shower will be small so we encourage everyone to apply ASAP.

OSOA-Announces Online Registration for all upcoming baby showers

2011-10-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

Operation Showers of Appreciation has a new online baby shower registration form. We will use this form for all applicants of future showers. We hope this will stream line our process and make it easier on everyone involved. We will no longer accept mailed in or faxed applications.

To view our application process please visit our website at: http://osoamil.org/showers/application-process

All baby shower families will need to have a copy of their most current LES. This document should be saved as a jpeg so it can be uploaded to our online registration form.

All baby shower families will need to fill out our Military Dependent and Proof of Pregnancy Verification Statement CLICK HERE for this document. Once this document has been signed off by the Command Representative E6 or above supervisor it should be saved as a jpeg so it can be uploaded to our online registration form.

The online registration link can be found when you CLICK HERE. Once this online registration form is completed with both the LES & Verification Form uploaded a member of our expecting mom team will be touching base with you. Mothers who have been accepted to any of our showers will receive an electronic E-Vite for the event. Please note while we would love to assist every family that applies for support our resources are limited and normally there are space/size restrictions due to the location of the shower.

Contact Information:
Kimberly@OSOAmil.org - Founder
Karmen@OSOAmil.org - Expecting Mom Coordinator
Info@OSOAmil.org - For all general questions including volunteer opportunities
Donations@OSOAmil.org - For all companies interested in donating
PR@OSOAmil.org - For all media and sponsorship requests

Viva Las Vegas: First OSOA Baby Shower Scheduled in 2012

2011-10-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

Operation Showers of Appreciation is proud to announce our first of many military baby showers throughout the country in 2012. Our first shower will be in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Nellis Family Housing Center at Nellis Air Force Base on Saturday January 7th at 1pm.

To be eligible for our January 7th shower you must:

Be expecting ONLY between January 1st, 2012-April 30, 2012. Those expecting in May of 2012 or later will not be considered.
Be an active duty service woman or spouse of an enlisted man with rank of E1-E5. Higher ranking individuals will be considered on a case by case basis (space availability).
Be living in Southern Nevada. Those living in another state will not be considered.

If these requirements pertain to you then please apply online at: CLICK HERE FOR LAS VEGAS 1/7/2012 BABY SHOWER REGISTRATION. As part of the Online registration you will be requested to upload a copy of your LES and your Verification Form which must be signed off by the service members First Shirt/Supervisor. We will accept online registrations for our January 7th shower up until November 20th. Those moms who have been chosen for our January 7th shower will be notified by December 1st via e-mail.

Submitting an application for assistance does not guarantee you will be selected to participate in an Operation Showers of Appreciation Baby Shower. Families are selected to participate based on the following:

Due Date
Date Completed Application for Assistance Received
Information provided in the “Tell us about your family” section
Rank

This shower will be extremely small so we encourage everyone to apply ASAP.

Volunteers and Donations
Are you interested in helping to volunteer at this event? Or donating new baby items for expecting Southern Nevada Military Moms? Please contact Las Vegas OSOA Baby Shower coordinator Jody Shervanick at jodyshervanick@hotmail.com or via phone at 702.862.6064

Thank You to Johnson & Johnson

2011-10-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

We want to thank our friends at Johnson & Johnson for graciously donating baby powder, bandaids and other items for our expecting military moms. Your support means so much and we look forward to working with you at future events.

Our Friend Emily Knight with Family and Life in Las Vegas is a wonderful volunteer for OSOA and during the EVO conference she spoke with Johnson & Johnson and you can view that link by clicking HERE

Sponsor a Growing Military Family in Southern California

2011-09-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

Operation Showers of Appreciation is hosting a military baby shower in Riverside for local expecting active duty service women and spouses. The shower will be held on Saturday October 15, 2011 at 1pm at Malcolm Smith Motorsports in Riverside. 25 new and expecting mothers who have active duty partners or are active-duty servicewomen will participate in this large baby shower. All military branches of service are represented. The event will include gifts from the local community and many additional surprises.

But we need your help! We are need in of donations of baby items for our military families. You can drop off any new unwrapped baby items at the following locations from now until October 13th:

Boyd's - 3645 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501. (Located downtown near the Mission Inn, Closed Sundays and Mondays).
Karen Allen Salon and Spa, Inc. Riverside Plaza-3639 Riverside Plaza Dr.#521 Riverside, CA 92506
Karen Allen Salon and Spa, Inc. 40820 Winchester Rd # 2260, Temecula, CA 92591
Karen Allen Salon and Spa, Inc. The Galleria at Tyler/1176 The Galleria at Tyler, CA 92503
Malcolm Smith Motorsports - 7599 Indiana Ave, Riverside, CA 92504

We are in need of donations of diapers for this event. If you would like to donate please mail any diapers to our Riverside Shower coordinator Shari Wolf:

Shari Wolf

6898 Valencia Street

Riverside, CA 92504

Even donations to help purchase items for our Southern California families is appreciated. You can click HERE to donate via PayPal.

For more information or volunteer opportunities, please contact: Shari Wolf, Operation Showers of Appreciation Southern California Baby Shower Coordinator at 951-544-1177 or via e-mail at wolfnurse@gmail.com to view the donation form click HERE.

Let's not forget the sacrifice these families make, let's help them bring their new little one(s) into a world filled with love and appreciation!

9/25 Fundraiser at El Torito in the Riverside Plaza

2011-09-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

Riverside California Fans-Do you have lunch or dinner plans on Sunday September 25th? Well you do now! Come help us raise funds by having dinner at El Torito in the Riverside Plaza. When you bring show this flyer (CLICK HERE) to your waiter 25% of the proceeds will help us purchase needed baby items for our Southern California Moms. Please share this event with everyone you know!

Event: 9/25 Fundraiser at El Torito in the Riverside Plaza

Location: Riverside At Riverside Plaza just off the 91 Fwy at Central.
3639 Riverside Plaza Drive
Riverside, CA 92506

Website: http://www.eltorito.com/location.asp?loc=247

Info: Bring in your Flyer and stop by El Torito. Mention OSOA to your server for 25% donation of food total.

Flyer: Please print this flyer (CLICK HERE) and bring it with you to the restaurant. You must present the flyer to receive 25% off your total purchase to help benefit OSOA.

Riverside Yard Sale

2011-09-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

On Friday and Saturday September 23rd and 24th Operation Showers of Appreciation will be having a yard sale. All money raised at this yard sale will benefit our October 15th Riverside Shower.

Donations: We are collecting gently used items (small and large items) for this yard sale. Please contact Shari Wolf at wolfnurse@gmail.com if you can donate any items.

Volunteers: Interested in helping volunteer your time at the yard sale please e-mail Shari Wolf at wolfnurse@gmail.com.

Yard Sale Location:
6898 Valencia Street
Riverside, CA 92504

Yard Sale Dates:
Friday: 9/23 8am-3pm
Saturday: 9/24 8am-3pm

To view the Yard Sale Flyer CLICK HERE

Pregnant Belly Contest

2011-09-13T00:27:00.000-07:00

Please enter our Facebook Pregnant Belly Photo Contest. Please send us your pregnant baby photo and it might win our grand prize. The last day to send your photo is September 30th. Please e-mail your photo to facebook@osoamil.org. One photo per family. All ranks and branches are eligible. The pregnant mom can be the active duty service member or the spouse. The photo can be of just the Mom's tummy or a family photo. On October 1st voting will happen for 2 weeks. The Top 10 photos will be placed in a finals album on October 15th. Voting for the Finals will take place for 1 week and the final winning Pregnant Belly Photo will be announced on October 22nd.

2011-09-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

The definition of Labor Day: Labor Day is a day set aside by the government to honor workers of all types. It is observed on the first Monday in September. Remember those that LABOR for all of us, who don't get to celebrate this, or other holidays, who work endlessly, sometimes all night long, who don't get the comforts of home and their own bed and their families arms around them whenever they'd like. Remember those in uniform, who make it all possible to enjoy our freedoms.

OSOA Founder Kimberly Felshaw top 10 Finalist for Stay Classy Award.

2011-08-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

It's official our Founder Kimberly Felshaw has made it into the Top 10 Finalists as she received this message, "Congratulations! You’ve been voted a Top 10 Finalist for Young Nonprofit Leader of the Year for the 3^rd Annual CLASSY Awards! After months of rallying your supporters, not only have you earned their votes, you’ve clearly won over their hearts as well." A huge thank you to everyone that had a chance to vote for the Classy Awards Nominations. On September 17th at the awards ceremony in San Diego we'll find out who won! Thanks everyone for your support!

My Brest Friend

2011-07-24T15:55:00.000-07:00

My Brest Friend has teamed up with OSOA to provide a coupon to our mothers! This coupon is 20% off any of their products and is good online only. Offer expires 8/31/2011. Please visit our website osoamil.org or click here to view/print the coupon.

Fox 5 TV Spot

2011-07-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the Fox 5 Las Vegas Baby Shower Donation Spots on air? They are adorable and OSOA wants to thank all the wonderful members of the community that are donating via our drop off locations or via our Walmart Registry! Your support means so much to these deserving families!

http://youtu.be/GD4VeSDs_WA

Take 5 to Care Campaign is running OSOA donation spots til July 23rd!

2011-07-15T01:18:00.000-07:00

For those of you who live in Southern Nevada you have probably seen the most adorable baby TV spot featuring Fox 5, Take 5 to Care, OSOA and Cannery Resorts. The spot is just adorable and we want to thank our friends at Fox 5 for all their hard work! To view the spot please click HERE.

Remember the last day to donate for the July 30th Las Vegas military baby shower is Saturday July 23rd. A huge thank you to our friends at FOX5 Local. Las Vegas and the entire Take 5 to Care campaign. We are so excited to be working with you to provide the largest military baby shower in the state of Nevada!

Reminder: donations can be dropped off at the Cannery, Eastside Cannery or Rampart Casino valets. You do not even have to get out of your car. Simply hand over your donation to the valet attendant! Help us keep those valet attendants busy, help us fill the crib at Fox 5 and help us fill the Land Rover at Land Rover Las Vegas!

OSOA Announces Saturday October 15 baby shower in Riverside, California

2011-07-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in attending our Southern California Military Baby Shower you must be expecting between 9/1-12/31/2011. You must live in Southern California. Guests can not fly or drive from another state in order to attend this shower you must be living in Southern California to attend.

Please do not register for this shower if you can not attend on Saturday October 15th from 1-3pm. Operation Showers of Appreciation is specifically targeting expecting moms near March AFB, 29 Palms, Camp Pendleton and south from there.

Each new or expecting mom who wishes to attend one of our baby showers is asked to provide 5 pieces of information in order to confirm eligibility for the shower. Some links might not work on governmental computers so please e-mail us at info@OSOAmil.org and request PDF's of the forms if you are unable to access the links. The last day to register is August 30th, 2011.

1. Baby Shower Registration Form: http://osoamil.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/OSOA-Assistance-Form.pdf

2. Copy of your Most Current Les (National Guard/Reserve families who are not activated won’t have this document and that’s okay).

3. Copy of Expecting Moms Military ID

4. Proof of Pregnancy (Doctors note from hospital/pregnancy profile-we do not accept ultrasound photos)

5. Military Service Member Verification Form http://osoamil.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Verification-Statement3.pdf When it says command to be signed off this means the active duty service woman’s supervisor, spouses’ supervisor or an FRG contact as we know many of our dads are deployed at this time and his supervisor would not be able to sign off on the verification form. In short we need a third party to confirm your eligibility.

These 5 documents can be faxed or sent via email to us at:

Operation Showers of Appreciation;
Attn: Baby Shower Registration
Fax: (760) 859-3331

E-Mail: registration@OSOAmil.org.

All moms will be contacted via evite and confirmed for the upcoming baby shower in Riverside (by September 15th-you will not hear from us prior to this date! Space is limited!)

Volunteers-If you are interested in volunteering for our Riverside Military baby shower please contact Shari Wolf at SoCalAC@OSOAmil.org

OSOA announces Saturday October 15 baby shower at Travis Air Force Base

2011-07-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in attending our Travis Air Force Base Shower you must be expecting between 9/1-3/1/2012 and must live in Northern California. Guests can not fly or drive from another state in order to attend this shower you must be living in Northern California to attend. We will be updating the exact location of this shower as the date approaches. It will be on base and you must attend the October 15th shower in order to receive any gifts we can not hold on to any gifts if you are out of town. Please do not register if you can not attend on Saturday October 15th.

Each new or expecting mom who wishes to attend one of our baby showers is asked to provide 5 pieces of information in order to confirm eligibility for the shower. Some links might not work on governmental computers so please e-mail us at info@OSOAmil.org and request PDF's of the forms if you are unable to access the links.

1. Baby Shower Registration Form: http://osoamil.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/OSOA-Assistance-Form.pdf

2. Copy of your Most Current Les (National Guard/Reserve families who are not activated won’t have this document and that’s okay).

3. Copy of Expecting Moms Military ID

4. Proof of Pregnancy (Doctors note from hospital/pregnancy profile-we do not accept ultrasound photos)

5. Military Service Member Verification Form http://osoamil.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Verification-Statement3.pdf When it says command to be signed off this means the active duty service woman’s supervisor, spouses’ supervisor or an FRG contact as we know many of our dads are deployed at this time and his supervisor would not be able to sign off on the verification form. In short we need a third party to confirm your eligibility.

These 5 documents can be faxed or sent via email to us no later then September 30th at:

Operation Showers of Appreciation;
Attn: Baby Shower Registration
Fax: (760) 859-3331

E-Mail: registration@OSOAmil.org.

All moms will be contacted via evite and confirmed for the Travis Air Force Base shower by October 1st. You will not hear from us prior to this date! The shower will be from 1-3pm at the base. The evite will include the location and all other important information you will need to know.

Volunteers-If you are interested in volunteering at the Travis AFB baby shower please contact Michsella Ory at 707-430-2520 or via e-mail at: Mamacub150@yahoo.com

Baby Shower Moms, Donors and Volunteers we would like to hear from you

2011-07-07T08:01:00.000-07:00

We are asking all the families we've supported and those that helped support our military families to share your story. Please send us paragraph or two of memories of the shower and how you were assisted or assisted the event. Please send your information to webmaster@OSOAmil.org. We'd love to hear from you. Also if you have any photos don't hesitate to share those as well.

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T17:42:00.000-07:00

As we celebrate Independence Day today with family and friends, please take a moment to remember the men and women whose sacrifices have made this day possible!

How to register for an Operation Showers of Appreciation Baby Shower

2011-07-04T17:28:00.000-07:00

Operation Showers of Appreciation currently hosts baby showers in California, Arizona and Nevada. We hope to host baby showers in other military communities/states soon. If you are interested in hosting a shower please e-mail us at info@OSOAmil.org

If you are aware of an Operation Showers of Appreciation military baby shower that will be held in your area and you would like to register please see below:

Each new or expecting mom who wishes to attend one of our baby showers is asked to provide 5 pieces of information in order to confirm eligibility for the shower. Some links might not work on governmental computers so please e-mail us at info@OSOAmil.org and request PDF's of the forms if you are unable to access the links.

1. Baby Shower Registration Form: http://osoamil.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/OSOA-Assistance-Form.pdf

2. Copy of your Most Current Les (National Guard/Reserve families who are not activated won’t have this document and that’s okay).

3. Copy of Expecting Moms Military ID

4. Proof of Pregnancy (Doctors note from hospital/pregnancy profile-we do not accept ultrasound photos)

5. Military Service Member Verification Form http://osoamil.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Verification-Statement3.pdf When it says command to be signed off this means the active duty service woman’s supervisor, spouses’ supervisor or an FRG contact as we know many of our dads are deployed at this time and his supervisor would not be able to sign off on the verification form. In short we need a third party to confirm your eligibility.

These 5 documents can be faxed or sent via email to us at:
Operation Showers of Appreciation;
Attn: Baby Shower Registration
Fax: (760) 859-3331

E-Mail: registration@OSOAmil.org.

All moms will be contacted via evite and confirmed for the upcoming baby shower in their area (30 days prior to the shower date!)!

Cannery Resort Group is collecting OSOA Las Vegas donations from now up until July 23rd.

2011-07-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

Operation Showers of Appreciation – Throws A Huge Military Baby Shower

For Expecting Servicewomen and Spouses in Nevada

Las Vegas, NV – Operation Showers of Appreciation along with Fox 5 and Cannery Casino Resorts, have joined forces to provide the largest military baby shower in Nevada. The shower will be held on Saturday July 30, 2011 at the Eastside Cannery Casino Hotel at 1pm in the spectalular One Six Sky Lounge, that features panoramic views of the entire valley in Las Vegas for approximately 100 new and expecting mothers who have deployed partners or are active-duty servicewomen. All military branches of services will be invited (Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines) to participate. The event will include gifts from the local community and flowers from expectant fathers.

“This giant baby shower is a new endeavor for our organization here in the Las Vegas valley,” said Kimberly Felshaw, President of Operation Showers of Appreciation. "New motherhood is challenging enough under ideal circumstances, so being able to support and lift up these mothers while their partners are deployed is just fantastic. It helps ensure moms have what they need, and reassures deployed dads that their loved ones are cared for so that they can focus on their mission."

Members of the community are encouraged to drop off their new unwrapped baby items to the valets of the Cannery Casino & Hotel in North Las Vegas, Eastside Cannery Casino & Hotel on Boulder Highway or Rampart Casino in Summerlin from June 23-July 23.

Any military expecting mothers who are active duty service women, spouses of active duty, Reserve or National Guard who are expecting between May 1^st and December 31, 2011 can register now for the July 30, 2011 shower at www.osoamil.org.

Individuals or companies wishing to donate items or volunteer please contact Jody Shervanick, Las Vegas baby shower coordinator at 702.862.6064 or email jodyshervanick@hotmail.com.

###

About Cannery Casino Resorts: Cannery Casino Resorts, LLC, owns and operates the Cannery Casino & Hotel in North Las Vegas; the Rampart Casino within the Resort in Summerlin, also home of the J.W. Marriott Resort; and Eastside Cannery Casino & Hotel on Boulder Highway. The company also owns and operates the Meadows Racetrack & Casino in Washington County, PA. Cannery Casino Resorts can be reached at (702) 856-5300. The specific property websites are as follows: Cannery Casino & Hotel and Eastide Cannery Casino & Hotel, www.cannerycasinos.com; Rampart Casino, www.rampartcasino.com. The Meadows Racetrack & Casino can be reached at (724) 503-1200, (877) 824-5050, or by visiting www.meadowsgaming.com.

OSOA Founder Kimberly Felshaw nominated for Stay Classy Award.

2011-07-04T16:54:00.001-07:00

Kim is the founder of Operation Showers of Appreciation, and works hard everyday while being a stay at home mom of her 2 children. She supports military families who are expecting new babies by hosting baby showers for up to 100 moms. Since 2006, they have assisted more than 3500 families and have become friends with several of the families they assisted over the years.

OSOA was established in 2006 by Kimberly Felshaw after being assisted by a local church in 2005. In January of 2005, the Felshaw’s were invited to attend a baby shower held by the South Shores Church located in Monarch Beach California, while her spouse served on active duty with the United States Marines. At this shower, they were assisted with everything they would need for the arrival and care for their first child, Allysa. Shortly after the shower, their daughter Allysa arrived. She was six weeks early and diagnosed with a terminal disease called Trisomy 13 and lived for three short weeks. Members of the South Shores Church assisted the Felshaw’s by opening their hearts and hands to them in their time of need.

Their kindness and generosity inspired Kimberly to begin Operation Showers of Appreciation. OSOA assisted their 100th family in July 2008 and have surpassed 3000 families in 2011. OSOA has goals of expanding their services to families located across the United States and hopes of reaching families stationed overseas. The largest obstacle has been receiving enough donations to cover all the families requesting assistance. On many occasions if there was not enough funding, Kimberly would pay for items out her own pocket so that another family didn’t go without the items they needed.

“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than 10,000 tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.” said Washington Irving and Kimberly reiterated this quote Kimberly while discussing why she assists military families.

Military Homefront on Etsy features OSOA in their June Blog

2011-07-04T16:52:00.000-07:00

Jody Shervanick
PR Coordinator, Operation Showers of Appreciation, Inc.

Connected with the Homefront Team last week to spread and word (and of course allow us to participate) in a pretty spectacular event!

Here are the details:

Operation Showers of Appreciation – Throws A Huge Military Baby Shower

For Expecting Servicewomen and Spouses in Nevada

Las Vegas , NV – Operation Showers of Appreciation along with Fox 5 and Cannery Casino Resorts, have joined forces to provide the largest military baby shower in Nevada. The shower will be held on Saturday July 30, 2011 at the Eastside Cannery Casino Hotel at 1pm in the spectalular One Six Sky Lounge, that features panoramic views of the entire valley in Las Vegas for approximately 100 new and expecting mothers who have deployed partners or are active-duty servicewomen. All military branches of services will be invited (Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines) to participate. The event will include gifts from the local community and flowers from expectant fathers.

FOX5 and Cannery Casino Resorts are excited to be partnering with Operation Showers of Appreciation. This shower will help military expecting mothers and their families receive the items needed when caring for their newborns.

“This giant baby shower is a new endeavor for our organization here in the Las Vegas valley,” said Kimberly Felshaw, President of Operation Showers of Appreciation. "New motherhood is challenging enough under ideal circumstances, so being able to support and lift up these mothers while their partners are deployed is just fantastic. It helps ensure moms have what they need, and reassures deployed dads that their loved ones are cared for so that they can focus on their mission."

Members of the community are encouraged to drop off their new unwrapped baby items to the valets of the Cannery Casino & Hotel in North Las Vegas, Eastside Cannery Casino & Hotel on Boulder Highway or Rampart Casino in Summerlin from June 23-July 23.

“This is a wonderful event and our entire organization is excited for the chance to get involved and help,” said Marty Gross, Vice President and General Manager of Eastsdie Cannery. “Since our properties are located throughout the Las Vegas Valley we offer convenient drop off points for donations and we hope that everyone gets involved so that these families who are sacrificing for us get everything they need.”

Any military expecting mothers who are active duty service women, spouses of active duty, Reserve or National Guard who are expecting between May 1^st and December 31, 2011 can register now for the July 30, 2011 shower at www.osoamil.org.

Individuals or companies wishing to donate items or volunteer please contact Jody Shervanick, Las Vegas baby shower coordinator at 702.862.6064 or email pr@OSOAmil.org.

Fox 5 Las Vegas fan favorite Monica Jackson will emcee the July 30th Las Vegas Operation Showers of Appreciation Baby Shower!

2011-07-04T16:47:00.000-07:00

Operation Showers of Appreciation is so excited to have fan favorite Monica Jackson emcee our Las Vegas baby shower on Saturday July 30th at the Eastside Cannery Hotel & Casino. Monica comes from a military background which just makes this announcement icing on the cake!

Monica Jackson co-anchors FOX5 News Live in Las Vegas from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. weekday mornings. She's also one of the co-hosts of MORE. Monica comes to FOX5 after a stint as morning traffic anchor for WFMY News 2 in Greensboro, N.C.

Before Greensboro, Monica worked for four years -- 1998-2002 -- as the morning traffic anchor/feature reporter for WXYZ TV Channel 7 in Detroit.

Monica's career has been very unique because she started out in her hometown of Detroit, Mich., which is also a top-10 market. In 1995, her love and dedication to the business opened the door to the opportunity to work for one of the top radio stations in the city -- WCHB.

The company originally hired Monica as the afternoon news anchor for the John Arnold News/Talk Show on the AM side of the station. However, after only two-days on the air, management invited Monica to join the Morning Show on the FM side of the station.

There, she worked as the morning news anchor, as well as a morning show personality. The show was an immediate success and the team known as "The Breakfast Jam" made it to the No. 2 spot in the ratings in less than a year. In spite of her rigorous split shift, Monica enjoyed every minute of it.

Her enjoyment and success was soon recognized by a local television station, Fox 2 News in Detroit, where she was invited to join the morning team as the in-studio traffic anchor from 1996 to 1998. Monica accepted the offer, but after about six months on the air, she was pirated away from Fox by WXYZ. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Monica was born and raised in the city of Detroit, but as a result of her husband's Air Force career, she graduated from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah.

Monica loves spending time with her husband, Delano, who also happens to be her high school sweetheart. She still gets butterflies when she talks about him. And, in April 2006, she and Delano became the proud parents of their son, D'Artagnan Mancel Jackson. He is the love of their lives.

Land Rover Las Vegas begins their “Fill the Land Rover” donation drive for Expecting Servicewomen and Spouses in Las Vegas

2011-07-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas, NV – Operation Showers of Appreciation along with Land Rover Las Vegas, have joined forces to provide the largest military baby shower in Nevada. The shower will be held on Saturday July 30, 2011 at the Eastside Cannery Casino Hotel at 1pm in the spectalular One Six Sky Lounge, that features panoramic views of the entire valley in Las Vegas for approximately 100 new and expecting mothers who have deployed partners or are active-duty servicewomen. All military branches of services will be invited (Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines) to participate. The event will include gifts from the local community and flowers from expectant fathers.

Land Rover Las Vegas is excited to be partnering with Operation Showers of Appreciation. This shower will help military expecting mothers and their families receive the items needed when caring for their newborns.

Members of the community are encouraged to drop off their new unwrapped baby items to Land Rover Las Vegas at 5255 W. Sahara, Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89146 from June 23-July 23.

“This is a wonderful event and our entire organization is excited for the chance to get involved and help,” said Ray DiNardi, General Manager of Land Rover Las Vegas. “Since our store is centrally located we hope that everyone gets involved so that these families who are sacrificing for us get everything they need. We look forward to filling our Land Rover with the needed baby shower supplies for our local military families”

Individuals or companies wishing to donate items or volunteer please contact Jody Shervanick, Las Vegas baby shower coordinator at 702.862.6064 or email pr@OSOAmil.org.

###

About Land Rover Las Vegas: Land Rover Las Vegas has served the community of Southern Nevada for over 11 years selling and servicing the most capable and luxurious four-wheel drive vehicles on the planet. As enthusiasts of the beauty of the Desert Southwest, we encourage all to respectfully get out and enjoy the amazing scenery all around us. To learn more about Land Rover Las Vegas, visit http://www.lrlv.com

Father's Day Photo Contest

2011-06-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

Operation Showers of Appreciation had their first Father's Day Photo Contest. All photos had to contain the military service member (Father or Mother) and their children. There were no rank restrictions for this contest. The contest included photos of Military Dad's past and present. Entries were received by June 16th and voting began on the 17th. The Top 12 photos were widdled down and the winning photo was announced on July 1st.

Congratulations to the Bale Family, they are the winners of our first Father’s Day Photo Contest.

OSOA Military Baby Photo Contest

2011-06-01T10:55:00.000-07:00

OSOA held their 1st Baby Photo Contest on Facebook. All photos submitted by June 1st were eligible to be voted on. Voting was for 2 weeks and then at that time the top 10 photos with the most votes "Likes" were in the finals. The winner received a gift basket from OSOA filled with our favorite baby items inside.

Congratulations to the winner of OSOA’s First Bi-Annual Military Baby Photo Contest the Wood Family of Alabama.

We're under construction!

2011-06-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

Good Morning, we are working on making many changes to the Operation Showers of Appreciation website, including this new blog page. Please bear with us as we are trying to grow!