A quick one today about Operation Supply Drop, a charity organization that is changing the lives of veterans and currently serving men and women in arms.
Before I write anything I should note that Venturebeat has a great piece about how the charity is helping Veterans with life after service that you should read instead whatever I’m going to write here.
Still with me? Alright, I’ll give you a little information about the organization myself. OSD’s mission is pretty simple: to “Make Fun Where There is None”. By providing games and entertainment to currently deployed men and women, the charity looks to make a difference in the lives of those that are activity trying to make a difference around the world. Giving these men and women video games is giving them an escape or diversion from what is often a lonely and hard situation. Games can brighten their days in countless ways, from giving them a piece of their regular lives back to connecting with friends and family from across the world. It’s pretty damn awesome what giving someone a video game can do.
OSD also does significant work for those who have returned from war: the charity facilitates online and offline communities for veterans that have returned home to give them a network of friends and fellow veterans, creates networks for veterans seeking to get into the video game industry, provides financial support and scholarships for veterans to attend school for programming and game design, and more. Pretty amazing stuff coming from people who first hand experienced how gaming changed their lives during deployment.
Organizations like OSD show that games be used as tools for social change. Everyday we’re finding out more utilities for gaming, ones that we wouldn’t had imagine years ago. Video games are truly augmenting our daily lives in more ways than ever before.
The Sociology of Videogames 
Oh this is totally Awesome. GAME ON!