Stand-down reaches homeless vets

Homeless veterans will gain access to dental care, legal aid and identification cards at the three-day South Bay Stand-Down in Boulder Creek next week.
Although accurate numbers are impossible to calculate, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that on any given night, between 154,000 and 300,000 veterans are homeless in the United States.
“This event is greatly needed and will service more than 200 homeless veterans in the area,” said event planner Kate Severin, outreach coordinator for VA Palo Alto Healthcare.
“Stand-down” is a wartime military term that refers to an opportunity for frontline troops to retreat to relative safety for rest and aid before returning to combat.
The peacetime stand-down program was started in 1988 by Vietnam veterans Jon Nachison and Robert Van Keuren, with the first event in San Diego. The California Department of Veteran Affairs estimates that more than 200,000 homeless veterans nationwide have received assistance through stand-downs.
The first South Bay Stand-Down took place in 2007 and served more than 140 homeless veterans. The gathering offers health care, benefits counseling, housing information, employment options and substance-abuse treatment.
Severin said the biggest draw is the legal resources. Superior court judges from Monterey, Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties will hear veterans’ misdemeanor charges and work to eliminate the charges and fines or reduce them to community service.
“This is extremely important for a veteran who is trying to get a job. It’s a great way to reduce barriers to employment,” Severin said. “The common theme of the stand-down is change, and the judges note the veterans taking initiative and making positive life changes by just showing up to the event.”
Two state-of-the-art mobile dental vans will be parked at the event to fulfill the need for cleanings, extractions, fillings, bridgework and crowns.
“This is a huge, because dental care is not usually provided to veterans unless they are on disability for their teeth,” said Severin, who also coordinated the 2007 stand-down.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles will make identification cards free of charge, while Social Security representatives will be on-call to help veterans initiate and check on existing disability claims by providing access to Internet sites, Severin said.
Essentials such as meals, clothing, shoes, sleeping bags, blankets and entertainment will also be provided.
The opening ceremony will feature keynote speaker Judge Stephen Manley, who heads the veteran’s court in Santa Clara County. Music will be provided by the Homeless Veterans Rehabilitation Program band.
The final night, on Sunday, is designed to have an introspective feel, Severin said. A storyteller who focuses on hope and change will lead the closing ceremony, and an open-mic forum will be opened for the veterans to share life stories and reflect on the event.
The night will close with an American Indian drum circle in an open auditorium under the stars, where performers will play by the light of a campfire.
“Entertainment provides the fun and connection between the vets, which is very important in creating community,” Severin said. “It’s a very powerful experience.”
At a glance
WHAT: South Bay Stand Down
WHEN: Sept. 19 to 21
WHERE: Boulder Creek Scout Reservation, 250 Scout Ranch Road, in Boulder Creek
INFO: www.palo-alto.med.va.gov/sbsd.asp or 650-444-8994; volunteers are welcome