The new school year is nearly upon us and that means it is time to start shopping for new clothes and other back-to-school items.
Knowing that school is just weeks away, the folks at Operation Phantom Support are gearing up for Operation Re-supply.
Operation Phantom Support is dedicated to helping veterans, active-duty military personnel, and first-responders get what they need for day-to-day life ... and school supplies are on that list.
That is where their Operation Re-supply program comes in.
”We provide the backpack and all the generic basic school supplies for both Copperas Cove ISD and Killeen ISD," said John Valentine, CEO, and Founder of Operation Phantom Support.
The cost of school supplies for our heroes is something Valentine knows well, being a veteran and parent himself.
”For me, it’s big because I know we’re giving them probably $50 or $60 worth of supplies," said Valentine. "If you figure about $70 to $80 dollars per kid that is going [towards] school and you have 4 kids, that’s a couple hundred dollars. And if I can save you $150 of that ... that's a pretty significant saving for a veteran or soldier out there.”
Silvana Blakes, whose husband served 23 years in the military, has used Operation Re-supply for years to help her family afford to send their kids back to school.
”It’s like the price is just rising up for school supplies, food, [and] lunchboxes you have to pack," said Blakes. "It's just ridiculous and it’s just ... they're raising the prices for everything.”
Programs like Operation Re-supply let families know that someone is in their corner when they need it, according to Blakes.
”Everybody, first-responders, and everybody else thinks that they are alone. You are not alone. We are all struggling together,” said Blakes.
If anyone would like to be part of Operation Re-supply they can reach out to Operation Phantom Support and show that they, or a member of their family, is a first-responder, active-duty military, or veteran to be added to the list.
