According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, many of the nation’s veterans fall through the cracks when it comes to the basics of life: food, shelter, and health care. To address that problem, veteran’s services offices across the country are joining forces with community agencies. They include clinics, employment offices, the Veteran’s Administration, and the Salvation Army. The project called “Standing Down for Veterans” hopes to get the word out that help is available.
Modeled after the Stand Down program used during the Vietnam War, NCHV says it provides a safe retreat for vets returning from combat. During the Vietnam war, a secure base camp area gave troops the chance to take care of personal hygiene, get clean uniforms, enjoy a warm meals, get medical and dental care, mail and receive letters, and enjoy the camaraderie of friends in a safe environment.
Fast forward to the present as VA Medical Centers across the country use the Stand Down approach to help veterans find food, shelter, clothing, and health care. That includes assistance with VA and Social Security benefits.
Veteran Matt Newman, a social worker at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center, says, “Our veterans have done so much for our country, and for us to be able to have one day a year, it not enough.” Newman goes out into communities across southwest Michigan to help veterans, especially those who are homeless.
“We want find people who are eligible for VA services and may not know it, and get them enrolled in those services," Newman says. He also says the effort is about building relationships with partner organizations in each community. "Someone might not know about a service we offer and if we can educate a community partner about that, they can avoid the run around for veterans and get them linked with the services that are available.”
Newman, who’s an Army Iraq War Veteran says his new mission is personal and that no veteran should ever be without a home or the services they need.
“We have a goal of ending homelessness among veterans, and that’s a big goal that the Secretary of the VA has put to us and we’ve made quite a dent in that. But there are some that do chose to remain homeless and they are the harder ones to reach out to. Some of them don’t know the resources that are available to help them and it takes more than just the VA to do this.”
Each Veteran Stand Down program across the country has the same features. Veterans can walk in without an appointment, get a hot meal, clothing, supplies, and meet other veterans at a Salvation Army post or another community location. They can also meet with counselors from local employment offices, get vaccinations from county health departments, and have their teeth checked by a dentist. All of this is at no charge with a free hair cut to boot. Veterans can also get referrals for substance abuse treatment and mental health counseling.
Calhoun County Veterans Affairs Department Director and Marine Corps veteran Aaron Edlefson says he’s pleased to see many community organizations joining the program.
“We try to take a holistic approach, so we’re not just providing a home; that’s not necessarily what the problem is. So it’s veterans helping veterans along with the community partners.”
With two deployments to Iraq under his belt, Edlefson says he sympathizes with other veterans because he knows that seeking help from the VA can seem overwhelming when soldiers are taught to simply “tough it out.”
“There’s a lot of avenues, there’s a lot of ways you can get into the system, a lot of places you can ask for help. You can go to the VA in Battle Creek. You can come to the Kalamazoo County Veteran’s Service Office. We can help assist with many needs that involve veteran’s benefits.”
Stand down for Veterans events are held annually at many locations throughout the country. The next events in Michigan are in Detroit on October 7th and 8th; in Centerville on October 9th; and in Battle Creek on October 30th. But veterans should check the VA website frequently because dates and locations can change. They can also contact their nearest VA Medical Facility or county veteran’s service office, which are also listed on the VA's website.
For more information, call the VA Medical Center in Battle Creek at (269) 966-5600, or the Kalamazoo County Veteran’s Service Office at (269) 373-5284.
