A stand down for homeless and at-risk veterans will be held on Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Santa Maria Fairpark from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Homeless and at-risk veterans will have the opportunity to receive food, clothing, health screenings, haircuts, showers, and learn about opportunities and programs, including veterans treatment court, California ID cards, housing, employment and training, mental health, legal assistance, and social services.
Stand downs are one part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs efforts to provide services to homeless veterans. They are collaborative events, coordinated between local Veterans’ Affairs, other government agencies, and community agencies that serve the homeless. The very first stand down was organized in 1988 by a group of Vietnam Veterans in San Diego. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, stand down events have reached out to more than 200,000 veterans and their family members between 1994 and 2000.
The first stand down event in Santa Barbara County took place in 2012.
Applications for veterans who want to attend stand down are available at the Santa Barbara County Veteran Stand Down website, sbcountystanddown.com, or by calling 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino’s office, 346-8402.
A shuttle service will be running from three locations in Santa Barbara, one spot in Isla Vista, and from the Solvang Veterans Memorial Building, the Buellton Senior Center, and the Lompoc Veterans’ Hall, but it will be limited to a first-come, first-served basis. The fair park is located at 937 S. Thornburg St. in Santa Maria.
This article appears in Oct 16-23, 2014.