In times of war, exhausted combat units requiring time to rest and recover were removed from the battlefields to a place of relative security and safety. At these secured areas, troops were able to take care of personal hygiene, get clean uniforms, enjoy warm meals, receive medical and dental care, mail and receive letters and enjoy the camaraderie of friends in a safe environment.
Today, Stand Down refers to a grassroots, community-based intervention program designed to help the nation’s homeless Veterans. Homeless Veterans are brought together in a single location for 1 to 3 days and are provided access to the community resources needed to begin addressing their individual problems and rebuilding their lives.
Many homeless Veterans have suffered years of chronic or recurring readjustment issues since ending their military service. This is due in part to a lack of structured and effective collaboration among agencies, forcing Veterans to go from one agency to another in efforts to access the various resources they need.
This lack of efficient support from traditional Veteran services has led to homeless Veterans mistrust of the very government agencies and large institutions created to help them. A Stand Down brings together various agencies and service providers to provide a comprehensive system that assists homeless Veterans distrust and feelings of isolation. It provides a safe environment in which they can connect with people who have shared experiences and cultivate hope that they can rebuild their lives.
A group of dedicated social service organizations across DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will Counties are proud to announce the first annual Homeless Veterans Stand Down for our Quad County community August 20 and 21 at the DuPage County fairgrounds.
It is easy to think that homeless Veterans are confined to Chicago. However, in 2014 more than 200 Veterans from the Quad County area received housing assistance from the VA and an additional 140 Veterans remain unsheltered.
No one in our community should be homeless, especially a Veteran!
