We are honored to name Operation Shower as the Rylee + Cru Foundation Grant Recipient for the month of July. Operation Shower is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring and supporting military families by hosting joyful, meaningful baby showers for expecting service members and military spouses. Their mission is to celebrate growing military families while providing essential baby items, emotional encouragement, and a strong sense of community during times of service and sacrifice. Through these events, Operation Shower helps ensure that military families feel recognized, appreciated, and supported as they welcome a new child.
Read our Q&A with Chief Creative Officer, Amy Belle, to learn more about Operation Shower's mission and impact.
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Q&A
Q. What has been one of the most encouraging moments for Operation Shower over the past year?
A. This year as America celebrates its 250th anniversary, we were absolutely thrilled to celebrate Operation Shower’s 250thgroup baby shower with a monumental shower for 55 military moms-to-be in San Antonio! This exciting milestone coincided with another high point as we marked more than 10,000 military moms-to-be and their families honored since 2007! It has been so encouraging to look back on all the support that has gotten us here.
Every single moment of every shower is an opportunity to spread joy, love, gratitude and connection to the remarkable women who quietly sacrifice so much on behalf of our country in ways most civilians can never imagine. Whether they are serving on the front lines or the home front, their heroism deserves to be recognized…and we are so incredibly encouraged knowing how many lives we’ve touched and are grateful for the support of companies like Rylee + Cru, which helps make our mission possible.
Q. Many of the moms you serve are far from family and familiar support systems. How do your showers help create lasting community beyond the event itself?
A. One of the things we're most proud of is that our baby showers don't end when the last gift is opened. For many of the moms we serve, this may be the first time they've met other women who truly understand what they're experiencing.
Our baby showers are designed to be more than a one-day celebration—they're often the beginning of meaningful, lasting relationships. Many of the moms we serve are navigating pregnancy and early motherhood without nearby family or established support networks, so we intentionally create opportunities for connection. During the showers, moms meet other women who are in similar stages of life, share experiences, and begin building friendships in a welcoming, judgment-free environment. We help create a space where those first conversations become lasting friendships.
After the event, we encourage those connections to continue through our ongoing private social media groups and online get togethers. Our goal is for every mother to leave not only with essential baby items, but also with the confidence that she is part of a caring community that will continue to walk alongside her long after the shower ends.
When a mom leaves, we want her to know she hasn't just attended an event—she's found a community.
Q. What is something you've learned from the military moms you've served that has stayed with you personally?
A. I am continually amazed and inspired by the resilience, courage, fearlessness and bravery of these extraordinary women. From multiple deployments and station moves that uproot the family to handling all of the everyday minutia of running a household, balancing jobs and managing finances, these women are super heroes! And imagine doing all of that while navigating pregnancy?! If there is anything that I’ve learned from these extraordinary women it is the strength of the human spirit and the power of social connection in improving mental health.
Q. Can you share a recent story that reminded you why this work matters?
A. Every military mom-to-be we shower has a unique story; but one recent story that resonates with me and reminds me why our mission is so important comes from mom, Andrea:
“My husband deployed during my third trimester, and he will return to an 8-month-old daughter. I had to have a life-saving C-section one month early, all alone with my husband overseas and my family out of state. Our daughter spent the first weeks of her life in the NICU, and I am now navigating the challenges of solo parenting an infant while balancing a demanding career. During all the chaos, being invited to the Operation Shower event through my Illinois Army National Guard FRG meant everything. I have no words for how amazing it was to connect with the other military moms, feel a sense of community and know that I wasn’t alone. I made friendships that will last a lifetime, and now have a support network to lean on. I was also blown away by the generosity of the gifts…just wow! That was a huge help financially. We are looking forward to my husband coming home in a couple of months and we are so grateful to everyone who contributed to making such a tremendous impact on me and all of the showered moms!”
Q. If someone is discovering Operation Shower for the first time through this interview, what's one thing you hope they remember about your mission?
A. I hope people remember that Operation Shower is about so much more than baby showers.
Operation Shower’s mission is to not only spread joy, uplift spirits and alleviate the financial strain of pregnancy through gift giving but also to provide connection.
Every parent deserves to know they're not alone, especially those who sacrifice so much in service to our country. When a military family walks into one of our showers, we want them to leave with more than gifts—we want them to leave feeling encouraged, connected, and deeply appreciated.
If our mission resonates with you, there are so many ways to get involved. Whether it's volunteering, donating, becoming a sponsor, or simply helping spread the word, every act of support helps us reach more military families and remind them that their service matters. And, as Operation Shower is rated 4 Stars by Charity Navigator, our supporters and donors can feel confident that their contributions are not only invaluable but being used responsibly.
Q. What are you most excited about for Operation Shower's future? Are there any goals or dreams you're working toward?
A. We're incredibly excited about what's ahead. In 2027, Operation Shower will celebrate our 20th anniversary, giving us a chance to reflect on the thousands of military families we've served and the many more we hope to reach.
We're always looking for ways to make each shower even more joyful, meaningful, and unforgettable than the last. Because every event has its own unique theme, we are constantly dreaming up new décor ideas, creative experiences, and special venues that will make families feel truly celebrated.
Just as importantly, we're focused on growing awareness of our mission so we can reach even more military families. That means building partnerships with sponsors, welcoming product donations, recruiting volunteers, and connecting with generous donors who believe in supporting those who serve. Partners like Rylee + Cru help make this work possible, and we're deeply grateful for your support.
At the end of the day, Operation Shower is powered by a community of people who care. It really does take a village, and we're excited to continue growing that village so we can celebrate and support even more military families in the years ahead.
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We are proud to support organizations that are making a positive impact in the lives of military moms and families across the nation. Submit an application to recommend a 501(c)(3) non-profit making a difference in your community and each month we’ll select one to receive a $10,000 grant in your name.
Thank you for joining us in this meaningful work.
