Operation USA

Operation USA (also known as OpUSA, Operation California, or OpCal) is a non-profit humanitarian organization supporting health, education, and relief programs at home and abroad. The Organization is privately funded, receiving no assistance from the United States federal government. OPUSA had a revenue of over $2.6 million in the fiscal year 2019, and since 1979 has delivered more than $400 million in aid to 100 countries.^[1]

Operation USA (aka Operation California, In.)

Founded	1979, with its California incorporation date in May 1980
Founder	Richard M. Walden
Focus	Disaster relief, Disaster recovery, Health, Education, Youth Programs, Food Security, Long-term rebuilding
Location	Los Angeles, California
Area served	Global
Key people	Richard M. Walden, President and CEO Board Members: Julie Andrews Jonathan Estrin Gary Larsen Skip Whitney Bob Johnson Maria Mohiuddin Verjee Drew Hagen Dr. Stanley Frileck Michael Mahdesian(Chairman) Jeff Franklin Rosario Dawson Rick Allen Peter Greenberg Julie Yannatta
Website	www.opusa.org

Awards and affiliations

Operation USA was part of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines in 1997 when it won the Nobel Peace Prize.^[2][3] Operation California was the winner of the 1983 President's Volunteer Action Award.^[3] Operation USA has been named one of "America's Best 100 Charities" by Worth Magazine,^[4] and in October 2008, was named the top-rated "exclusively privately funded charity in the U.S." by Charity Navigator.^[5] Operation USA collaborated with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory to develop new approaches to land mine detection.^[6] Operation USA is a member of InterAction^[4] and Reuters AlertNet as a news partner.^[7] In 2014, Operation USA's CEO Richard M. Walden received the Honeywell Hometown Hero Award from the Honeywell Corp.

History

Operation California began in 1979 as "a relief organization created to provide aid to Vietnamese boat people and Cambodian refugees",^[8] co-founded by Richard Walden (still active as President & CEO) and Llewellyn Werner (who left in early 1980). The Organization flew "the first international relief airlift to Cambodia since 1975",^[9] delivering medicine to Phnom-Penh. Operation California had airlifted more than $3 million (equivalent to $12,997,249 in 2024) worth of aid by October 1979.^{[10][11][12][13]}

In 1982, Operation California sent "the first private airlift from the U.S. to Poland", delivering 200,000 lb (91,000 kg). of medical supplies and medicine;^{[14][dead link]} that year Operation California also airlifted medical supplies to Lebanon.^[15] In 1983, Operation California delivered aid to the children of Vietnam and Cambodia.^[16] Operation California provided aid to the earthquake victims in Mexico City in 1985,^{[17][better source needed]} as well as working in cooperation with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and Oxfam America, to deliver $250,000 (equivalent to $730,894 in 2024) worth of medical aid to Nicaragua.^{[18][dead link][19][dead link]} In 1986, Operation California, in conjunction with Medical Aid to El Salvador, sent "two cargo planes carrying $500,000 (equivalent to $1,434,274 in 2024) worth of relief supplies to earthquake-stricken El Salvador".^{[20][dead link]} In 1988, Operation California began using the name Operation USA because it better described the effort and intent of the organization to represent the entire American people.^[9] In 1989, Operation USA facilitated operations on children in Vietnam who had cleft palates by a Los Angeles-based plastic surgeon, Dr Stanley Frileck.^{[21][dead link]}

Medical aid and rebuilding effort was delivered to Mexico in 1990 by OpUSA.^[22] In 1991, OpUSA delivered aid to Bangladesh.^[23] In 1993, OpUSA did the same thing to war-torn Somali.^[24] In 1994, OpUSA provided earthquake relief.^[25] In 1999, the Organization provided aid to Hurricane Mitch survivors in Honduras and Nicaragua.^[26] In that same year, OpUSA gave essential supplies to storm victims in Mexico.^[27]

In 2003, OpUSA delivered aid to Iraq War victims in the Persian Gulf.^[28] The tsunami victims in Sri Lanka and Indonesia were aided by OpUSA in 2004,^[29] as well as the Mexico City flood victims.^{[17][dead link]} In 2008, OpUSA has delivered aid to Myanmar cyclone victims^{[30][better source needed]} as well as Chinese earthquake victims^{[31][dead link]} and flood victims in the Midwest, USA.^{[32][better source needed]} In 2015, OpUSA partnered with UniversalGiving and United Airlines to raise funds for its Nepal Earthquake recovery project, rebuilding a school in Fyakse, in the Dhading district. In 2017, OpUSA launched relief efforts helping communities impacted by an unprecedented string of disasters, including Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Maria, Hurricane Irma, and the California wildfires. In 2018, OpUSA delivered cash grants and supplies to aid communities impacted by Hurricanes Florence and Michael in the eastern US.

In 2020, OpUSA began responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States by delivering cash and supplies to partners aiding front-line workers.^{[33][better source needed]}

Celebrity affiliates

Operation USA, since the early 1980s, has relied on fundraising efforts featuring singers and celebrities.^{[citation needed]} These include concerts, dinners, and other events.^{[citation needed]} These promotions have featured:

• Barbra Streisand^[34]
• Bonnie Raitt^[35]
• Carol Burnett^{[36][dead link]}
• Crosby, Stills & Nash^[35]
• Don Henley^{[citation needed]}
• Ed Asner^[37]
• Frank Sinatra^{[34][36][dead link]}
• Jack Elliot^{[36][dead link]}
• Jackson Browne^[6][35]
• James Garner^{[38][dead link]}
• John Denver^{[34][36][dead link]}
• Julie Andrews^[36][39][40]
• Kirk Douglas^{[36][dead link]}
• Michael Jackson^{[36][dead link]}
• New American Orchestra^{[36][dead link]}
• Plácido Domingo^{[34][36][dead link]}
• Ricardo Montalbán^{[36][dead link]}
• Ry Cooder^[35][41]
• Sharon Stone^{[38][dead link]}
• The Buena Vista Social Club^[41]
• Tony Adams^[3]

Rosario Dawson travelled with Operation USA to Nicaragua in 2008.^{[citation needed]} George Hamilton assisted with relief to The Philippines Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 as did Barbra Streisand, Rosario Dawson, Jackson Browne, Bill Maher and Judd Apatow.^{[citation needed]}

Film and theater projects

Operation USA's funds come from television and film including:

• Because We Care (CBS Television Special)^{[42][when?][clarification needed]}
• Beyond Borders (Hollywood)^{[43][dead link][when?][clarification needed]}
• Buena Vista Social Club (Hollywood & Havana)^{[41][when?][clarification needed]}
• Fidel (Hollywood for Showtime)^{[citation needed][when?][clarification needed]}
• Mary Poppins (London stage)^{[citation needed][when?][clarification needed]}
• Miss Saigon (Hollywood)^{[citation needed][when?][clarification needed]}
• Roll Bounce^{[44][when?][where?][clarification needed]}
• The Killing Fields (Hollywood & Cambodia)^{[45][dead link][when?][clarification needed]}
• Victor/Victoria (Broadway)^{[citation needed][when?][clarification needed]}
• Eloise at The Plaza (Disney TV)^{[citation needed][when?][clarification needed]}