(above) Brett D’Alessandro, Founder of Backpacks for Life
Helping Homeless Veterans with Backpacks for Life
Submitted by Michael Boll, New Jersey Veterans Network
For the last few years our charity racing team, Operation Rebound, has been sponsored by Backpacks for Life (BFL). This amazing charity is responsible for providing thousands of homeless veterans backpacks full of essential toiletries and personal items. Also, the BFL will seek out veterans in need and help them with housing, food, employment and any other service that will help them live a better life.
The founder of the BFL, Brett D’Alessandro, is a United States Marine Corps veteran and started this outstanding charity shortly after he returned home from his tour of duty in Afghanistan. Brett recalls living out of a backpack during the war and felt a backpack can be a life-saving tool. In just a few years, Brett and the BFL are responsible for making thousands of backpacks for our homeless veterans.
The BFL doesn’t just do backpacks, they are committed with helping our disabled veterans with providing them with the necessary resources and life-saving services by participating in various health fairs and PTSD groups. The BFL estimates about 350 disabled veterans have benefited from their resources and outreach. The BFL feels it’s easy for a veteran to feel lost in the system. There are amazing resources out there, but it can be overwhelming trying to navigate it alone, so the BFL is there to help and guide the veteran through this agonizing process. What makes the BFL special is they invite veterans into their home and help with filling out paperwork, draft resumes, apply for housing, or whatever else is needed to help the veteran.
The future looks bright for the BFL. They’re excited to expand their backpacks distribution and reach even more homeless veterans. As they connect with more veterans’ organizations across the country, they will equip even more communities with backpacks.
Their mentorship and coaching process will soon be accessible online. In this exciting development, veterans from across the country will be able to utilize the organization despite their location. Through this growth, the BFL focus remains on bringing hope back into the lives of veterans.
The BFL is out there every day making a difference and the Operation Rebound Racing Team is lucky to be a part of this incredible charity.
If you are interested with helping the Backpacks for Life please visit their website backpacksforlife.org.
For more information about New Jersey Veterans Network visit njvn.org.
About Operation Rebound
Operation Rebound is a mobile outreach team of mentors who help at-risk veterans and first responders to live a better life. For the last two years, our team has made huge strides with suicide prevention simply by building trust and cementing friendships with people in need. It’s most important to be honest with each person in crisis and follow up with ways to help them regain purpose in life. Setting goals motivates them to stay on a positive track. If you are interested with joining the Operation Rebound Racing Team please feel free to contact Michael Boll at mdbollio@optonline.net or call 973-332-1556.
