Annual 'Stand Down' For State's Veterans In Need

The Department of Veterans Affairs is hosting Stand Down 2011 in Rocky Hill next Friday, Sept. 9. This annual event aims to help any veteran who is homeless or in need of assistance. This year the department expects more than 1,000 veterans to participate.

“We are number one in the nation for veterans attending Stand Down,” said Linda Schwartz, commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs. “We do a very large outreach and our outreach gets better every year.”

Part of the outreach is to eradicate homelessness among veterans, Schwartz said. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, of the nearly 76,000 homeless veterans, more than 400 are in Connecticut. This means there is much work to be done, she said. And so the one-day event serves to highlight veterans’ needs as well as get their lives back on track.

During the day veterans can get information about various state and federal benefits, employment assistance from numerous veterans organizations and legal advice.  Some veterans need help in getting their drivers’ licenses restored so they can apply for a job.

“In 1992 I went and worked at a Stand Down in San Diego. I came back and we started it here in Connecticut,” Schwartz said. “I think the payoff is that you see lives literally transformed in a day. You are watching people leave with a better life.”

Also, veterans can avail themselves of medical and dental and oral cancer screenings.

“Stand Down is a great way to go to one location and have access to all kinds of information and professionals,” said state Sen. Carlo Leone, a Democrat representing Stamford and Darien in the 27^th Senate District and co-chair of Veterans Affairs Committee.  “It’s one-stop shopping for veterans.”

Some of the services offered, such as haircuts, may seem mundane, but they are an important part of helping veterans, said state Rep. James Albis, a Democrat representing East Haven in the 99th House District.

“Our veterans have given so much for us, the least we can do is provide them with clothes to wear, simple amenities, and other modest donations. In tough times we sometimes forget how lucky we are, and don’t fully appreciate the people that fought to give us the chance to be so lucky,” Albis said.

Some of the veterans expected on Friday are just returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. Others served during WW2, Korea, Vietnam or the first Gulf War. No matter, organizations such as Homes for the Brave will be on site to assist.

“It gives us an opportunity to showcase our transitional housing program and vocational assistance services that we have to offer. The event allows us to outreach to any veteran that is in need of housing,” said Joy Kiss, CEO of Applied Behavior Rehabilitation Institute, Inc. and Homes for the Brave in Bridgeport.

Homes for the Brave, which has participated in Stand Down for the past several years, has helped more than 600 male veterans.

“We are acutely aware that many people are just one paycheck away from going homeless,” Schwartz said.

Indeed about 1.5 million veterans are at risk of becoming homeless because of poverty, lack of support, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.

There will be free transportation for veterans available from pick-up locations around the state, including Bridgeport, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Norwich, and Stamford. Veterans or their advocates and pre-register or learn more by calling 860-616-3801 or www.ct.gov/ctva. However, preregistration isn’t required to attend.

"Other than the obvious help that it provides it brings awareness of the issue," said state Rep. James Crawford, a Democrat representing Clinton, Killingworth and Westbrook in the 35th House District. "The way we treat veterans is such a serious shortcoming of our society, it's one of the saddest commentaries. A lot of folks are very, very needy."

Crawford said events such as Stand Down 2011 focus attention on veterans who are in need, not just for physical care but perhaps need help in talking about their experiences. 

Crawford also said part of the problem is most Americans forget there are two wars going on. 

"When everybody has skin in the game, or whatever cliche you want to use, things get done for the betterment of everybody. I have a lot of admiration for the people who organize things like Stand Down," he said.