Operation Ramen 2018

What does it take to be a “Force Behind the Forces”? It could mean that you volunteer, it could mean you donate to the USO, or it could mean you write a note to a deployed service member. Well local schools and groups in Richmond, Virginia take being a “Force Behind The Forces” to a new level!

Operation Ramen: a simple donation drive that started 7 years ago at one middle school has evolved into a community driven donation drive for the USO of Hampton Roads and Central Virginia. The students of Stonewall Jackson Middle School, along with the help of teacher Jeff Arco, have donated Ramen to our local centers for the past 7 years and have now gotten 2 other schools and 3 other groups in the community to donate as well. And this is the LARGEST Operation Ramen donation we have received to date!

The following schools and groups collectively donated 18,139 packs of ramen this year!!

• Stonewall Jackson Middle School (including 3,000 donated from the cafeteria staff!)
• Oak Knoll Middle School
• Laurel Meadow Elementary School
• VFW Post 9808 in Mechanicsville
• Local Churchs coordinated by Mr. Jim White
• CodeBlue Technologies (8th Grader Claire Hayden encouraged her father’s company to participate and they donated 3,000 packs!)

Because of Stonewall Jackson Middle School’s continued support over the last 7 years and now with the help of other schools and community partners, they have been able to donate over 89,000 PACKS OF RAMEN for our local service members here in Hampton Roads and Central Virginia!

When we asked Jeff Arco why it was important to his 8th graders, he gave us many reasons!

• It is simply the RIGHT thing to do to help support our military members.
• It provides them with an opportunity to contribute to the common good (one of our Civics SOLs).
• It involves them in a school/community wide effort that seeks to get other people to contribute to the common good.
• It helps to to see the generosity of our Mechanicsville community.
• It helps them live and understand that doing big things is easy when many people pitch in.
• And again, It is simply the RIGHT thing to do to help support our military members.

It only takes one person to make an impact, thank you Jeff Arco for being an example to this community and for being a Force Behind the Forces for our LOCAL Service Members!

Also, thank you to the MSAG group from Bank of America and local National Guard service members for helping us pick up and unload this awesome donation!