Big Happenings in Hampton Roads: Operation Smile

I am constantly blown away by all that is going on in Hampton Roads. Growing up here and moving back after my husband and I got married made me tend to think of it as less exciting than it really is… I am proud to be oh so wrong on that fact.

Recently I was able to visit the headquarters of Operation Smile which is right here in Virginia Beach!

Operation smile

These kind ladies gave me the grand tour and I was honestly blown away.

I had always heard of Operation Smile from their commercials and known a little about what they did, but I had no idea the depth of what they do to make it all possible.

If you aren’t familiar, Operation Smile…

…it is an international medical charity that has provided hundreds of thousands of free surgeries for children and young adults in low- and middle-income countries who are born with cleft lip, cleft palate, or other dental and facial conditions since they began in 1982.

Their heart touching stories are endless and they are truly making a difference in this broken world.

operation smile

On my tour, I saw maps with people’s photos on them signifying that that person was on a trip to either prepare for a mission or execute one.

operation smile

The sheer manpower and organization it takes to make their efforts possible was not something I had thought about until seeing their headquarters! They have lawyers, accountants, volunteers, and MORE working around the clock and it blew my mind!

I don’t know about you, but I tend to forget that there’s so much behind the scenes to make the end result possible.

Operation Smile

I also got to check out their stockrooms and mailing facilities! Did you know that Tylenol is illegal in some countries?! It’s true and they have to keep track of that and so much more when shipping supplies for a mission.

I learned so much but what stuck with me most was it takes as little as $240 and as few as 45 minutes to provide life-changing surgery and a new smile to a child. If you’d like to financially help Operation Smile this holiday season or learn more about volunteering, click here.

Thank you Operation Smile for the tour and all you guys do!

Tilley
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