It all started with a simple lesson
A Bedford High School Sophomore on a Mission
OUR STORY
Every nonprofit starts with a moment of clarity — a realization that something important is missing and that someone has to do something about it.
My name is Landon Ginn. I am a sophomore at Bedford High School in New Hampshire, and I started Project Gratitude™ after a great deal of reflection.
When I was very young, every time my family and I saw a first responder or a member of our armed forces, my father would tell me to walk up to them, look them in the eyes, shake their hand, and say, “Thank you for your service.” He would always be right behind me, doing the same. The lesson was simple — gratitude for the freedom and security we live with every day because of the sacrifices these heroes make.
As a child, I did not fully understand what that meant. But as I grew older, I began to realize something deeper. The weight of that sacrifice is not carried by service members alone. It is carried by their families, too. Especially their children.
Children who come to school every day with something invisible on their shoulders. A parent deployed or otherwise protecting our nation. A constant uncertainty. On the surface, their days look like everyone else’s. But they are not. And too often, no one says a word about it.
So, I started asking questions. How many children are living this reality?
The answer was staggering — 1.6 million across the country.
And while there are many civilian programs supporting service members, very few focus on their children. They are often overlooked — if they are considered at all.
Project Gratitude™ is my response to that gap.
It is simple by design: a card, a signature, a message that says, We see you. We are grateful for what your family carries. You are not alone.
Simple. But not small.
We launched in New Hampshire in 2026 with a bold vision: that every military child in every school is seen, honored, and understood. When a student signs a card, they discover that someone their age is carrying a weight they may never have to bear. Our freedom is not borne by service members alone—it is also carried quietly by the children who wait for them at home.
OUR MISSION
To acknowledge and honor the 1.6 million American children with active military family members by connecting them with peers who are grateful for their sacrifice — one card, one school, one community at a time.
What We Believe
Every Child Deserves to Be Seen
Military children sacrifice alongside their parents. That sacrifice is real, ongoing, and rarely acknowledged. We exist to change that.
Gratitude Is a Skill
When students take 30 minutes to reflect on a peer’s experience, something changes in them. We believe the signing student learns as much as the receiving student gains.
Simple Gestures Have Lasting Power
A card is small. But a card that says ‘I see you’ to a child who has never heard it from their civilian community is not small at all.
What Makes Us Different
We Are the Only Program of Our Kind!
Many wonderful organizations send cards and care packages to deployed service members. We honor and support that work. Project Gratitude is different in one important way: our recipient is the child left at home, not the service member. We are the only structured, school-based, year-round program in the country where the military child is the primary honored recipient of student appreciation. That distinction matters. Because while service members are frequently celebrated, their children are almost never mentioned.
Our Organization
Project Gratitude, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in New Hampshire. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent permitted by law. We are headquartered in Bedford, New Hampshire. Our board of directors is composed of community members committed to honoring military families. Financial statements and IRS determination letter are available upon request. EIN: 41-5314983
