by Dennis Tivey, Communication & Outreach Coordinator
The Santa Barbara County Veterans Stand Down is coming in October! Over 100 organizations from all over the county, including DSS, come together at this annual one-day event to serve veterans (homeless or not). Veterans can get a hot meal, warm clothes, on-the-spot services from health screenings to haircuts; and referrals for help with food, shelter, jobs, counseling and more. There’s no charge to attend, but pre-registration is required. Free shuttle buses to the event and back will be available from locations all over the county.
Please read on for details on Stand Down 2017, flyers and registration forms to give to your clients who are veterans, and more ways to get involved!
When and Where: Santa Barbara County Veterans Stand Down 2017 is happening Saturday, October 21st from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Santa Maria Fairpark.
Tell your clients! DSS plays a crucial role in publicizing Veterans Stand Down, since many veterans use DSS services. Please feel free to print, post, and share this flyer and registration form for Stand Down with your clients who are veterans of the U.S. military. As the event draws nearer, every public DSS lobby will also display Stand Down posters and offer colorful Stand Down flyer/applications for clients.
Take part! DSS employees will also have opportunities to participate in Stand Down—whether by working in a booth representing our programs and services, or volunteering in the supply area providing boots to veterans in need, or dropping off warm clothing for veterans in a donation bin right here at DSS during our Donation Drive in September. More information on the Donation Drive will follow (by email and Intercom) as it draws nearer. If you're interested in staffing a booth or volunteering as part of a DSS group, ask your supervisor.
A community tradition: This is the sixth year for the local Veterans Stand Down event, established with the leadership of Santa Barbara County Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino. “Stand Down is a great opportunity to display our commitment to our local veterans,” Lavagnino observed, “and a great way for veterans to jump-start their lives after returning home.” Armed with new clothes and boots, a haircut, and community services, homeless veterans can leave Stand Down in a better position to secure paid work and attain self-sufficiency. That’s one reason DSS leaders have worked behind the scenes to make Stand Down happen every year.
What's offered: Stand
Down offers services for all veterans (men and women, homeless or not)
including:
·
Free hot meals
·
Live entertainment, including a kids’ zone
·
Health, dental, vision, and behavioral health
screenings & referrals
·
Showers, haircuts, clothes, shoes, care
packages, gift cards, mending
·
Pet services, including checkups, grooming and
microchipping
·
Public and private agencies offering
consultations, services or referrals
·
Employers and job seeker services
·
Women’s services including health screenings,
hairstyling and massage
·
Free shuttle buses to the event and back, from sites countywide
· New this year: treatment court on-site to clear up minor infractions and
misdemeanors
More information: For more information, visit the Veterans Stand Down website. For a flavor of what Stand Down is like, check out the Stand Down 2016 Intercom article and photo album.