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| Volunteer hands bag of food to attendee at the event |
by Sandy Agalos
Thank
you to everyone who helped with the Salute to Veterans Drive-Thru event on
Veterans Day!
It was a beautiful day. We had about 100 cars and a
few walk-ups. We were joined by Home for Good, Good Samaritan Shelter,
Goodwill, Foodbank, Band of Brothers, Vandenberg Airforce Base, our Stand Down
volunteers plus brand-new volunteers, and members of the 100 Day Challenge to
Reduce Homelessness, to help veterans navigate the services they needed. Each veteran received a hygiene bag, box of 50 masks, produce bag, a $10 Subway
food card, a Taco Bell food card for a free crunchy taco, and several resource
guides. Overall, it was a great experience for veterans and
volunteers. Photos from Nora Wallace are available on our webpage www.sbcountystanddown.com and our Facebook page, if you want to take a look at the setup.
Our donors included the SB County Department of Social Services, Workforce Development Board, Coast Hills Credit Union, American Red Cross, Direct Relief
International, Dignity Health Marian Community Clinic, Cotti Foods, Local
114/So. Cal Pipe-Trades SB County, LaCuesta Chapter DAR, Melanie
Waffle, Lucy Harrington, SM Rotary, SB County Farm Bureau, Area Agency on
Aging, SB Elks Lodge Veterans Car Show, SB County Veterans Services, SB Foundation and
several anonymous donors. Thank you!
This event (held November 11, 2020 at the Joseph Centeno County Government Center parking lot at 511 E. Lakeside Parkway in Santa Maria) served as a more COVID-safe substitute for the annual walk-through Stand Down traditionally held at the Santa Maria Fairpark. It might not have looked like our typical Stand Down, but it accomplished the goal: several hundred veterans got resources and information in a well-organized drive-through endeavor.
We
are planning to be back in October 2021 with the 9th Annual Santa
Barbara County Veterans Stand Down! See you soon.