Operation Interdependence Sends Civilian Rations to those in Need

Operation Interdependence’s Need

Operation Interdependence (OI) is the fastest-growing volunteer organization and premier Civilian-to-Military Delivery System^® in the United States. OI enables people stateside to send personal notes and treats to those on the frontlines, without impacting military resources. For some, these notes and treats are the only communication that they receive from home.

Endicia’s Solution

OI uses 13 Endicia accounts to print custom shipping labels for its shipments of civilian rations^® (c-rats^®) and a free enterprise account to oversee the 13 accounts. It uses Endicia’s email notification to alert leaders of deployed units of c-rats^® shipments and, via replies from units with ending deployment, learn of cancellations. In so doing, OI has become the Civilian-to-Military Delivery System^® of choice. With Endicia, OI volunteers benefit from a paperless environment, automatically prepared shipping labels, and no more trips to the post office or waiting in line to mail packages.

Endicia also gives OI portability, enabling it to ship directly from conferences. During OI’s 2004 Christmas Rush, it used Endicia during a 7-day span to ship boxes of c-rats from 19 cities in 18 states. Endicia’s online package look up creates added efficiency, and the label customization increases OI’s visibility and that of its sponsors to further reduce the cost of doing business. OI’s enterprise account further decreases administrative costs by letting national organizers view spending and shipments from each location on one consolidated reporting system, thus helping them manage the entire operation without having to log into each account.