Killeen: Operation Phantom Support pantry in danger of going under

KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX) - Operation Phantom Support CEO John Valentine says the organization is barely scrapping by and it’ll take a community-wide effort to preserve it.

“I’ve personally donated about 20,000 out of my own money just because we’ve been struggling so much,” he said.

“I’ve put part of my 401K and stuff I’ve been saving up just to keep us going. I’ve got to the point with my family that I just can’t do it anymore.”

Valentine says the non-profit is facing its toughest challenge since the pandemic began.

He says they’ve seen about a 70 percent drop in donations, leaving families like Brittney Arreola concerned about where their next meal will come from.

“We come probably six times a month,” she said.

“I had to get a second job just to help pay the bills. One dollar won’t make or break somebody right now, but it’ll help Phantom Support help hundreds of families in the local areas.”

Valentine says he thinks the community can come together to keep the pantry alive.

“There’s a hundred thousand plus people that live in Killeen,” he said.

“If everyone just donated one dollar, we’d have $100,000 that could last us the next nine to ten months. But it’s just getting the word out that people don’t understand, it takes an impact from the community to make a change.”

Any person or business who’d like to donate can visit the organization’s website for more details.