Veteran Helps Veterans Get Back on Their Feed

VETERAN HELPS VETERANS Get Back on Their Feet

By Jackie Schatell

When United States Marine Corps. Veteran, Brett D’Alessandro, who grew up in Verona came home from a seven-month deployment in Afghanistan, he had some trouble reintegrating into civilian life, while battling the hidden wounds of war. As he began to check out the resources available to him, he realized they were hard to find, but they were there. He was not alone.

Following a face-to-face encounter with a homeless veteran on the streets of Rhode Island in the winter, Brett realized it wasn’t just him or those he was deployed with that were struggling, it was MANY veterans, nationwide, who had to deal with the trauma of coming home and not knowing where to turn.

This was an “aha” moment for Brett, who took it as a sign to “do more and be more for his fellow servicemen and women.” That day, Brett distributed a backpack to this veteran filled with toiletries and warming layers. From this simple act – Backpacks For Life was born.

Now, seven years later, Backpacks For Life, which Brett runs with his fiancée, Alexa Modero, has helped countless veterans get back on their feet. “For Veterans who have nothing, a backpack is their most crucial asset. It is their mobile home and, in some cases, it is even a container for their only belongings,” says Brett.

Each backpack is filled with toiletries, supplies, and resources pertaining to supportive services. “Our goal is to enhance the general well-being of our homeless veterans while providing them with tools to succeed,” he says. “Backpack distribution is our gateway to reaching out to a veteran, establishing trust, and getting them started on a path off the streets, out of poverty, and towards self-sufficiency,” he adds.

“The delivery of the backpacks is as important as the backpacks themselves,” says Brett. “It is not about quantity; it is about quality.” The goal is to provide something of worth in a way that makes the veteran feel worthy too.

Aside from creating a specialized backpack packed with tons of necessities, Brett also created ROGER, a comprehensive user-friendly search platform “without all the noise” for all of the resources available to veterans in NJ, with plans to expand coverage.

All of these services are delivered free of charge and many of the items packed in the backpacks come through donations. While he could ask large companies to donate, and sometimes he does, Brett says he prefers that smaller groups hold collections themselves to spread the word about Veteran issues. “We want to share the message that there is a need to help veterans and feel that is best done via these types of collections,” he says.

Visit backpacksforlife.org/donate to find out more, or to donate.

Pictured left-right: Brett D'Alessandro, Atlantic County Sheriff Eric Scheffler, and Alexa Modero

Pictured left-right: Alexa Modero, Kara DeSmet and Brett D'Alessandro