Annual Stand-Down Saturday to Help Homeless Veterans

Newark veterans will get a helping hand Saturday for the annual Northern New Jersey Stand-Down for Homeless Veterans, a one-day outreach effort to help the former military men and their dependents.

Veterans will be bused to the one-stop center at John F. Kennedy Recreation Center (211 W. Kinney St., Newark) to receive haircuts, medial checkups and HIV testing. They will also receive counseling and information from private and public agencies about employment services, state and feeder veterans' benefits, substance abuse programs, vocational rehabilitation, recovery programs, hospice care, legal services, including city legal support to address outstanding criminal matters, and even photo identification cards.

Lunch will be cooked by the New Jersey Army National Guards. Veterans will also receive a full range of Army surplus winter clothing, including boots, underwear, ski caps, pants and personal toiletries. There will also be donated civilians, women's and children's clothing available.

Last year's stand-down helped more than 800 veterans and family members.

The program, hosted by Newark's GI Go Fund Veterans Transition Center, as well as other city agencies and Stand Down of North Jersey, Inc., the New Jersey State National Guard, the state Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs, and the federal Veterans’ Administration, begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 4:30 p.m.

For more information about the event, contact David Cathcart, director of Stand Down of North Jersey, Inc., at 201-223-7787.