CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — With the school year starting in less than two weeks for many Coastal Bend students, the Corpus Christi Police Department hosted its 14th annual Operation Safe Return at the American Bank Center to help families prepare.
Officials purchased 4,000 backpacks for students at the one-stop shop for back-to-school needs. The event offered immunizations, physicals and other services to students before their first day of classes.
"Right now we're going through challenging times, and so we know that the families have that struggle," said Melissa Castro, Crime Prevention Specialist and Operation Safe Return organizer. "We're just gonna make sure that our community has a little less to worry about at the beginning of the school year."
The event featured 142 vendors providing resources to help students start the school year successfully.
According to Capital One Shopping Research, Americans spent just over $125 billion for back-to-school and back-to-college shopping in 2024. The National Retail Federation reports families are expected to spend an average of $875 per household on school supplies this year.
Operation Safe Return aims to bridge that financial gap for local families.
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