Hundreds of American flags lined the fields in Willow Park earlier this year in remembrance of the 20th anniversary of 9/11.
They came from a local organization called the RALLY Project, which celebrates the lives of service members and first responders all-year-long.
Based in Granbury — but soon to be Arlington — the organization is one-of-a-kind, also offering a 24-hour-seven-day-a-week crisis hotline, housing, and emergency assistance and fellowship opportunities to veterans.
Founding Chairman Doug Pruitt said one of the most impactful parts of the project is the camaraderie it offers for individuals who share similar experiences from their time in service.
“One of the things we say is, we try to help people build a new tribe,” Pruitt said. “We just want to get these warriors together in a healthy manner.”
As part of its crisis management program, the organization has launched “warrior-to-warrior” peer groups for service members, veterans, first responders, and family members.
The idea is to unite service members with shared struggles, so they can inspire but also depend on one another.
But it even goes beyond shared struggles, Pruitt said.
For instance, Operation Degataga — which means “standing firm together” — gives veterans the opportunities to connect with one another through common interests, including rucking, fishing, camping, and hunting.
The project also gives service members opportunities to learn new trades such as leather working, blacksmithing, and woodworking.
“We rely a lot on our veterans and our first responders that we serve to really be our advisors,” Pruitt said. “We want them to tell us what they like, what they wish that they could do, and fun activities to keep them plugged in.”
One guy, Pruitt said, wanted to learn to build dog collars and leashes for veterans with service dogs.
“So, we started building these, and we got them in a couple of retail stores,” Pruitt said. “It’s actually really phenomenal.”
In addition to fellowship, the RALLY Project also provides emergency assistance to service members and first responders.
The organization also collects rucks (military backpacks) to fill with basic hygiene items, universal clothing, a sleep system, utility gear, and non-perishable food items.
But most unique to the RALLY Project, Pruitt said the organization builds small homes for veterans out of reclaimed and recycled materials — complete with all furnishing, appliances, and other amenities.
“It’s been really fun doing this,” Pruitt said.
For more information about the Rally Project, visit rally-project.com or call 817-770-0425.
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