“Operation USA is the little ship that gets in the harbor where the big ships cannot go.”
When Julie Andrews contacted Richard Walden in 1979–shortly after he returned from the very first “Operation California” airlift of relief supplies to Vietnamese refugees then in Malaysia–she and husband Blake Edwards made what was to become a lifelong commitment to our work.
In the 40 years since Operation USA was founded, Julie has provided support in a number of meaningful ways. She has helped us raise funds and supplies for ongoing programs, and has promoted public awareness of issues ranging from refugee crises, micro-enterprise/economic development programs, the effects of drought on food security and disaster response to the entire range of children’s issues of which she is so prominently an advocate.
In her own recent words: “[I am] always proud of the work you do, and always trying to look for opportunities to speak about Operation USA. I’ll keep my thinking cap on about ways we can support your work…”
We are so grateful to count on Julie Andrews as not only a founding board member but also a long-time supporter of our ongoing work around the globe.
Learn more about what her involvement means to her: