Lake County Vet Connect members will host the annual Veterans Stand Down, an outreach event for local veterans and active military personnel who are homeless, experiencing uncertain housing or are vulnerable in other ways.
Scheduled for Sept. 21 and 22, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. each day, the event will be at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin Street. Veterans must provide their ID cards or DD Forms 214. Lake Transit will provide veterans free rides to the Stand Down. Lunch will be served by Vet Connect volunteers.
Resources to be offered include a significant amount of veterans’ services such as MPIC, VetWorks, disability services, DMV, Nations Finest, One Step Away, housing, homeless assistance, emergency preparedness, Woodland Community College, behavioral health, substance abuse counseling services, employment assistance, advance care planning, and child support assistance.
Hundreds of local veterans are served by the Veterans Stand Down and quarterly mobile outreach events. “Over the past year I have been given a wealth of knowledge that I would have never made an attempt to discover on my own. For this, I will be forever grateful to the countless number of people who are a part of this veterans program,” states Air Force Veteran Jovanie Otei.
The Vet Connect committee currently falls under the auspices of the Lake County United Veterans Council, a nonprofit organization. Members are asking the public to spread the word regarding the Stand Down and benefits available to local veterans.
“In the military, ‘Stand Down’ afforded battle-weary soldiers the opportunity to renew their spirits, enjoy warm meals, receive medical and dental care, mail and receive letters, and enjoy the camaraderie of friends in a safe environment,” says Vet Connect Chair Chris Taliaferro.
“Today, ‘Stand Down’ refers to grassroots, community-based intervention programs designed to help our nation’s vulnerable veterans remain safe and receive the services they need to achieve a healthy lifestyle. At-risk veterans are invited to a single location and provided access to the community resources needed to begin addressing their individual problems.”
For more information, contact Taliaferro at christopher.taliaferro@edd.ca.gov or Janine Smith-Citron at (707) 263-6222. For updates, visit the Vet Connect Hookup Hub on Facebook.
We always welcome community input. If you have a press release, event, or idea you would like to share with The Bloom's readers, send us a note.
Copyright 2022 The Lake County Bloom
We use cookies on this site. For more information, see our privacy policy.