Backpacks For Life

SHARING TO OUR BFL COMMUNITY! Let's help this local hero! 100-Year-Old WWII veteran, retired postman wants letters and cards for his birthday! WWII 148th Army Combat Engineer Joseph Dragonetti is turning 100 on December 30th. He is now bedridden and asks his family every day if he receives any mail. The answer is always no, and you can see a visible sadness in his eyes. For his 100th birthday, the family is asking everyone to send him a letter or card. “Receiving mail will make his day!” says his granddaughter. Letters can be mailed to 1908 Shore Boulevard, Toms River, NJ 08753. Please share and tag local veterans organizations. Alexa D’Alessandro Brett D'Alessandro Organized Q Gabriela Q. B. JC Glick Lisa Vargas

I’ve been thinking about this moment for quite some time now—Backpacks For Life is turning 10 years old! That’s right, we’re officially hitting the big 1-0. Reflecting on the past decade has reminded me of something obvious: I’m 10 years older, too. It all began with Alexa and me as boyfriend and girlfriend, working out of my parents’ garage, which served as our HQ. Back then, I was going through a lot, and this organization gave me purpose—something to get out of bed for and pour my energy into. Alexa was working at a shoe design company, I was still in the Marines and landscaping on the side, and together, we launched BFL in Rhode Island at our very first Stand Down event. We had a bright green backpack that looked like neon throw-up and straps that kept breaking—but not a single veteran cared. That’s when I knew we were onto something meaningful. (Seriously, scroll through our Instagram if you don’t believe me!) Fast-forward to today: Alexa and I have gone from boyfriend and girlfriend to husband and wife, and we even have a daughter. Alexa left her job to run BFL full-time. Over the years, we’ve handed out more than 11,000 backpacks, provided individual assistance to over 1,100 veterans, and participated in thousands of events. Just recently, we had a group run the NYC Marathon for #TeamBFL, and Monopoly added us to the Jersey City edition of their board! We’ve even created a mini-documentary and built countless memories that will last a lifetime. To the veteran I met on my way to a doctor’s appointment, the one who received the very first backpack: I thought giving you that bag would change your life, but you have no idea how much it changed mine. Looking back at this journey—sleeping in vans, chasing down leads, and embarking on crazy adventures across the U.S.—it’s been a wild ride. None of it would have been possible without Alexa, our incredible board, and everyone who has supported us along the way. Honestly, Alexa, this organization wouldn’t exist without you. Let’s keep making a difference. Always remember, anything is possible with a little hope and some good people by your side.

My Brother Vinny 🇺🇸 Veteran #2730 - #2731 Jersey City/Great Meadows, NJ 11/16/24 MBV is a small but mighty organization serving veterans throughout NYS. 🇺🇸 Special thanks to our BFL family. Brett & Alexa D'Alessandro, the Founders of this wonderful organization, have partnered up with us since 2017. Earlier, this event, Brett & Terrell, came up to pick up surplus for 2 NJ veterans starting over. We're honored to be part of any mission we can collaborate with them on. Thank you for the beautiful signature BFL Backpacks for our veteran crew and Bombas socks for those we serve. October Vets - https://lnkd.in/eWQe4FZ6 Please leave us a google review ❤️ https://g.co/kgs/QTF3T Donations - 2 Bathroom Bags/2 Kitchen Companion Boxes - Janet Hecken and MBV Donor Angels Dresser, 2 Kitchen Table Sets, Futon, Bedding, 2 Side Tables, 2 Coffeemakers, 2 Toasters, 2 Cookware - General Donation supply purchase TV Trays, Storage Shelve, Folding Chairs, Lamps - MBV General Donation Dresser - College Hunks Movers Surplus Peekskill, NY 2 Chairs, Art, End Table - Hyatt Regency Jersey City, NJ www.MyBrotherVinny.org My Brother Vinny is a 100% Volunteer 501(c)3 Organization that has provided furniture & housewares to over #2725 formerly homeless US Veterans "Free of Charge" since June, 2013. Located in Westchester County, N.Y., we provide support in the throughout the Hudson Valley Region, NYC & Neighboring vicinities. #mbvhelpsvets ❤️🇺🇸 Backpacks For Life Backpacks For Life

Terrell Washington isn’t just one of our longest-serving board members—he’s the kind of person you can count on no matter what. He’s always just a phone call away, and I mean that. Like Batman, if you shine a light in the sky, Terrell will show up ready to go, BFL pack in hand, prepared to tackle any challenge we face. He’s someone who would do whatever it takes to help a fellow veteran, which is exactly why he received this well-deserved recognition from Congresswoman McIver! Congratulations, Terrell. It’s an honor to call you my friend. Let’s keep making a difference in our community!

Completing the NYC Marathon is an incredible achievement. We spoke with Ryan Clement from this year's team Backpacks For Life (BFL) to learn what this race meant to him. 🎖️ BFL’s mission is to help homeless and at-risk veterans by providing backpacks filled with everyday essentials and much-needed resources and tools to help them reintegrate into civilian life. #nycmarathon2024 #backpacksforlife #veterans #marathon #raceday #marathonoutfit #epromos #promotionalproducts

November 15 is National Philanthropy Day, which recognizes the importance of giving back. At Tris, making a difference in our communities is part of our culture of care. In addition to partnering with local organizations like Backpacks For Life throughout the year, we’re proud to offer employees 8 hours of PTO annually for volunteering with their organization of choice. #TogetherAtTris #NPDLove

Support with Strength Join us in the #RepsforVets challenge. Here's how to participate! Set your push-up and fundraising goal. Share the fundraising link (linked below). Track your progress with photos/videos and post with #RepsforVets. Invite friends to join in the action! Get stronger and have fun—all while supporting our veterans! Donations of $50+ receive exclusive BFL swag! Visit our website to get started: https://bit.ly/3YXfNnZ #RepsForVets #SupportWithStrength #VeteranEmpowerment

November 3rd, the BFL Team is taking on the NYC Marathon! They’ll be running 26.2 miles to support veterans, and we’re so close to hitting our fundraising goal—we’re just 18% away! Let’s help them cross the finish line and make a difference! Support the team by donating here: https://lnkd.in/eCCsZ4yq #NYCMarathon #SupportVeterans #BackpacksForLife #26point2

We’re incredibly proud to announce that we've been honored with one of the first Top-Rated Awards of 2024 from GreatNonprofits! 🎉 This recognition highlights the impact we’re making thanks to the unwavering support of our amazing community. Your contributions fuel our mission and make a real difference every day. GreatNonprofits is the go-to platform for authentic, user-based reviews in the nonprofit sector, helping organizations like ours gain visibility and trust. Thank you for being part of our journey! #backpacksforlife #NonprofitExcellence #CommunityDriven #GreatNonprofits

Join us for a volunteer day on Sunday, November 10th, from 2:00 - 4:00 PM at Fairfield Self Storage in Fairfield, NJ! We'll be cleaning and organizing our storage units, sorting toiletries, and supplies, and organizing all recently received donations. Link to sign up: https://lnkd.in/ergmcK9k